Man steals own Mercedes Benz to claim insurance: BUSTED & car seized

A businessman from Delhi was recently arrested by Rafi Ahmed Kidwai (RAK) Marg police, Mumbai. His offence? The man stole his own car and then lodged a police complaint about its theft. The car in question here is not just any other hatchback but a white Mercedes-Benz A-Class. According to a report by Hindustan Times, the police believes that he staged the theft to claim the insurance amount. While this is not something that can be said to an entirely new case, it is the details which further make it interesting.

The 62-year-old Delhi businessman, who goes by the name of Vijay Ramlal Dhavan, runs a real estate firm in Delhi. He was arrested in Delhi on June 1 and brought to Mumbai for stealing a Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatchback that is his name. The car has been seized by the police until further proceedings are done. According to the police, Dhavan asked two of his business acquaintances on the 25th of June to transport his Mercedes-Benz A-Class to Mumbai. The reason for this was deemed to be a friend who needed the car for a day. He instructed the duo responsible for transporting the car to stay at a community lodge on RAK Marg. After they both reached Mumbai with the car on the 26th of May, they did as was told and checked into the specified lodge.

The guys then parked the car outside the lodge and went on to explore the city. Upon returning in the evening, they found the car intact and in its place. However, the next morning brought surprises for them as the car was missing from where it was parked. When they informed Dhavan of the missing car, he told them to file a police complaint at the local police station. This was on May 27 when the duo reported the loss of the car to RAK Marg police station. A case of theft was registered against unknown persons. The Police, however, found it tough to digest the fact that the car was brought all the way down from Delhi to Mumbai for a friend who needed it for a day.

Proceeding on the investigation, the police contacted a Mercedes showroom and were told that this particular Mercedes car model could only be opened using one set of keys. Further, they received information that Dhavan had recently ordered a second set of keys. This led to the suspicion that Dhavan stole his own car using a second set of keys. The police then scanned the CCTV footage at toll plazas and spotted Dhavan driving the Mercedes out of Mumbai on the 27th of May. A police team then left for Delhi on the 29th of May and nabbed Dhavan on the 1st of June.

What this case tells us is that stealing your own car is not the best idea to make some quick money. Most of the cases which have a similar story like this one get opened up like a nutshell in a few days.