Later, sells it to an unsuspecting businessman for Rs 1.5 lakh; makes merry with the cash

For collegians, showing off is an integral part of their college life. However, this 19-year-old went to the extreme of robbing his own uncle to impress his friends.


Not so hot wheels: A police constable stands next to the car that Kewal
Kesariya (below) had initially stolen to impress his friends and later sold
it to a Malad-based businessman for Rs 1.5 lakh.
Pics/Siddharth Dhadve

The Mulund police yesterday arrested Kewal Mulchand Kesariya, a second year B Com student from his home at Pant Nagar, Ghatkopar, for allegedly stealing his uncle's car, which he used to impress his college friends.

The case
"In the first week of July 2011, Kantilal Kesariya, a material supplier, had registered a compliant that his Maruti Swift Dzire car had been stolen from near his residence at Devidayal Road in Mulund (W) and the thief had used original keys to execute the plan," said API Pandharinath Patil of Mulund police station.

"Based on Kesariya's complaint, we suspected the involvement of an insider and interrogated the complainant's domestic helps, but to no avail. When we suspected Kewal's involvement in the robbery, as he would visit Kesariya almost on a daily basis, the complainant said that he could vouch for Kewal's innocence," said Patil.



Breakthrough
On Sunday morning, six months after the complaint was lodged, Patil received a tip-off that the car they were looking for had been spotted in Malad.

Nabbed
Acting on the information, the cops intercepted the car and nabbed its driver.
During interrogation, the driver, a Malad-based businessman, revealed that he had purchased the car from Kewal for Rs 1.5 lakh. He stated that since Kewal had promised to deliver the car's original papers, he never suspected that he was purchasing a stolen vehicle.

Confession
"We have arrested Kewal for the theft. During interrogation, he confessed to the crime and said that he did it to impress his college friends. Later, he sold off the car and used the money to party with his friends," said Patil.