Indore Police Bust Major Car Rental Fraud Ring, Arrest Serial Offender
In a significant breakthrough, Indore police have apprehended a serial fraudster accused of orchestrating an elaborate car rental scam that duped multiple vehicle owners. The accused, identified as Sanjay Karira alias Kalra, was taken into custody following intensive investigation, with authorities seizing 38 vehicles valued at over ₹5 crore from his possession.
Detailed Investigation Reveals Extensive Criminal History
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Shivendu Joshi, Karira had been in police remand for the past fifteen days, during which officers conducted thorough questioning about his fraudulent activities. Police records indicate that at least four cases were already registered against Karira at Annapurna police station, with two additional cheating cases filed during the current investigation.
The accused has a substantial criminal background, with nine previous fraud and forgery cases registered across multiple police stations including Juni Indore, Dwarakapuri, Rajendra Nagar, Annapurna, and Nilganga police stations in Ujjain. This pattern of criminal behavior suggests a long-standing engagement in fraudulent schemes targeting unsuspecting victims.
Modus Operandi: High Rent Offers Leading to Illegal Mortgages
The investigation began on January 20, 2025, when Romendra Singh Bhadoria, a resident of New Gauri Nagar, filed a formal complaint. Bhadoria revealed that he had purchased a Maruti Swift in January 2025 and subsequently rented it to Karira in August 2025 for ₹24,000 per month under an eleven-month agreement. Karira operated a car washing center on Kesarbagh Road, which lent credibility to his rental business.
After paying rent for only two months, Karira ceased payments entirely. Bhadoria later discovered that his vehicle had been illegally mortgaged to another individual without his knowledge or consent. This discovery prompted further investigation, which uncovered similar complaints from other vehicle owners including Vijay Bharti Goswami and Annu Yadav, leading to additional First Information Reports being filed.
Police officials confirmed that nearly forty applicants approached the station claiming they had rented their vehicles to the accused and subsequently lost contact or stopped receiving payments. The scale of the operation suggests a systematic approach to defrauding multiple victims simultaneously.
Systematic Fraud Pattern and Recovery Efforts
Investigators determined that Karira employed a consistent method in each case. He allegedly attracted car owners with attractive monthly rent offers and signed formal rental agreements, only to subsequently mortgage or sublet the vehicles to third parties using those very documents to collect substantial sums of money.
The fraudster typically paid original owners for only two or three months before ceasing payments. He would then remove GPS tracking devices from the vehicles to avoid detection and location tracking. When confronted by vehicle owners, Karira would occasionally make small partial payments to regain trust and allegedly threatened to involve the cars in illegal activities to intimidate owners into accepting informal settlements.
To date, police have successfully recovered thirty-eight vehicles, including several high-end models. Karira remained in police remand until February 3, with authorities seeking further custody in connection with other registered cases. Law enforcement officials emphasized that efforts continue to identify additional victims and trace the financial transactions linked to this widespread fraud operation.
The case highlights the importance of due diligence when entering rental agreements and serves as a cautionary tale for vehicle owners considering similar arrangements. Police have urged anyone with additional information or similar experiences to come forward as the investigation progresses.
