Delhi: Liaison officer turns auto-lifter, steals scooter to fund wife's medical treatment

New Delhi: Delhi Police has apprehended an alleged auto-lifter who turned out to be a liaison officer of a reputed motors company, an official said on Thursday.

The accused, Anuj Kumar (31), was arrested after analysing over 150 CCTV cameras and tracking his movements across 15 kilometres. A stolen scooter belonging to a senior citizen was allegedly recovered from his possession, police said.

On February 18, an incident of motor vehicle theft was reported at the Civil Lines police station. The complainant, Trilochnan Singh, a senior citizen and resident of Rohini, said that he had visited the Rajpur Road Authority for official work around 11:35 am. He parked his new scooter on the footpath outside the authority's office but accidentally left the key. Upon returning, he allegedly found the scooter missing and immediately reported the theft online.

Following an analysis of over 150 surveillance camera clips, police traced the movement of the suspect over a distance of nearly 15 kilometers. The investigation led them to Ghaziabad, where they gathered intelligence on the accused. The accused was apprehended on March 12, police said.

According to police, Anuj allegedly confessed to the crime. He revealed that he has been working as a liaison officer in a private motors company for 15 years and was familiar with various RTO offices due to his professional duties.

"On February 18, he accompanied clients to the Rajpur Road Transport Authority. While at the office, he noticed an unattended black scooter parked on the footpath with the key still in the ignition. Overcome by temptation and financial desperation, he decided to steal the vehicle," Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Raja Banthia said.

Kumar further claimed that he was under severe financial distress due to his wife's medical expenses. Struggling with debt, he planned to sell the stolen scooter to arrange funds for repaying his loans. Further investigation is underway, said the DCP.