Car thieves led by ex-army officer busted (Second Lead)

GHAZIABAD - Police Sunday claimed they had busted a gang of car thieves led by a retired Indian Army officer who is now on the run.

Lt. Col. M.P. Singh, who left the army about 18 months ago, was running the gang for about a decade, Senior Superintendent of Police Raghuvir Lal said.

Police recovered 11 luxury cars along with fake documents after questioning one of the gang members.

Three others, the retired officer included, are on the run, Lal said. A police sub-inspector, Pankaj Verma, has been suspended for failing to arrest the former army officer.

The gang was busted following a tip, police added.

The arrested man has been identified as Nagad Narayan alias Ram Singh, a resident of Afaur Tola in Bihar. He confessed that he prepared forged documents for the stolen vehicles.

“Some customers who came to know they had been sold stolen cars surrendered them to the police voluntarily,” Lal said.