BHAYANDAR: Addicted to alcohol, a 21-year-old auto-thief adopted a unique modus opMurdha villageerandi to fund his habit. According to the police, the accused who has been identified as Mayur Sagar Naik (21), a resident of Murdha village in Bhayandar stole rickshaws and used to ferry late night passengers in and around the Mira-Bhayandar belt.
Once the vehicle ran out of fuel, he would abandon it and walk away with the earnings to splurge in hooch dens. However, he ran out of luck when he landed into the custody of the Thane (rural) police. Alarmed by the rising cases of auto thefts in the region, SP Dr Shivaji Rathod deputed the LCB team to nab the culprits.
“After intensifying vigil and activating our core informer network, we rounded up the suspect. Initially, he tried to misguide by cooking up a story claiming involvement of his friend in the thefts. However, after sustained interrogations he finally broke down and confessed to his single-handedly committed crime,” said Assistant Police Inspector Pramod Badhakh.
It emerged that the accused who stayed alone in his tenement in Murdha village was addicted to alcohol and mostly targeted older auto-rickshaws for the ease of stealing. – Suresh Golani
