Maharashtra Crime: 30-Year-Old Habitual Bike Thief Caught Red-Handed In Nalasopara; 5 Cases Solved, ₹1.7 Lakh Property Recovered

Palghar, Maharashtra: The Crime Detection Unit of Pelhar Police Station has successfully apprehended a habitual motorcycle thief, catching him red-handed with stolen vehicles and parts. This arrest marks a significant breakthrough in a series of two-wheeler thefts reported across the Vasai-Virar region over the past two months.

The investigation began after a Hero HF Deluxe motorcycle was stolen on the night of May 4, 2025, from outside Ayan Medical Store in Wakanpada, Nalasopara East. The owner, Ajay Kumar Ramchandra Yadav (26), a local electric motor repairman, filed a complaint at Pelhar Police Station the following morning, leading to a case registered under IPC Section 303(2).

Concerned by the increasing frequency of motorcycle thefts, Senior Police Inspector Jitendra Vankoti of Pelhar Police formed a special detection team. The team diligently reviewed crime scenes and gathered intelligence, eventually identifying the suspect as Wasim Bashir Shaikh (30), a local resident originally from Haryana.

Acting on a tip-off, the police team apprehended Shaikh at a garage where he was found actively dismantling motorcycles. During interrogation, Shaikh confessed to stealing five motorcycles within the Pelhar Police Station limits over the past two months. He also admitted to dismantling two of the stolen vehicles for spare parts.

Police successfully recovered three motorcycles, including the one reported stolen by Yadav, along with several parts from other dismantled vehicles. The total value of the recovered property is estimated at ₹1,72,100. Shaikh has been charged in connection with five separate theft cases registered at Pelhar Police Station under IPC Section 303(2).