Man books long-distance rides, steals cabs after reaching deserted locations; Siddipet police arrests 32-year-old
A man who allegedly posed as a passenger before making away with cabs and other vehicles across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh has been arrested by
A man who allegedly posed as a passenger before making away with cabs and other vehicles across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh has been arrested by the Siddipet police, leading to the recovery of three stolen vehicles worth about ₹10 lakh. The accused, identified as 32-year-old Pendyala Sudarshan of Nagarkurnool district, allegedly targeted cab and taxi drivers by booking long-distance trips and winning their confidence before stealing their vehicles at deserted locations.
Siddipet Police Commissioner Rashmi Perumal said his latest victim was an Ola cab driver who picked him up from Hyderabad on the night of July 2 after he claimed he wanted to visit the Komuravelli Mallanna Temple. In the early hours of July 3, while the duo were searching for a hotel near Mangol Crossroads in Kukunoorpally, the accused allegedly asked the driver to leave the air conditioner running while he stepped out.
Moments later, he sped away in the cab. The driver lodged a complaint, following which Kukunoorpally police analysed CCTV footage and technical evidence to trace and arrest Sudarshan. During interrogation, the accused allegedly confessed to the theft and disclosed his involvement in a string of similar crimes. The police recovered the stolen Swift Dzire from the Kukunoorpally case, a Royal Enfield Hunter motorcycle stolen in Khammam and a Toyota Etios stolen from Andhra Pradesh’s Sri Sathya Sai district.
The investigators said Sudarshan first landed in jail in 2019 in a theft case and later joined hands with former inmates to build a network that stole vehicles and sold them cheaply in other States. He is suspected to have been involved in at least 13 vehicle theft cases across Telangana. The accused was produced before a court for judicial remand.
The BriefWire