8 held for selling cars hired to run as taxis

SURAT: Local crime branch of Navsari nabbed eight persons on Tuesday for alleged involvement in a racket of selling cars taken on rent to be used as taxi.
Sanjay Bagle, Arun alias Chhimu Patel, Bhupat Shiyani, Alpesh Patoliya, Hussain Memon, Rakesh Monpara, Zaheer Patel and Dharmesh Patel were arrested for allegedly taking the cars and selling it off. Patel allegedly took the cars from different owners to run as rented taxi.Later he sold it to the other accused with help of Bagle, police investigation revealed.
Bagle was arrested on September 23 and he was remanded to police custody till September 26 for investigation. During investigation he confessed that he sold the car that he took hired from different owners in Navsari. Police recovered five Toyota Innova and one Mahindra XUV total worth Rs 23 lakh. tnn
Police investigation revealed that Dharmesh Patel used to hire the cars and handed it over to Bagle. They promised to pay Rs 1,600 per day rent to the owners. They initially paid rent for two months but in third month when the owner demanded their cars back the accused failed to return it as they had sold the vehicles.
"The accused sold the vehicles worth over Rs15 lakh to six Surat residents for just Rs 5 lakh each. They paid initial two month rent but later their cheating was exposed and police complaint was lodged," said J N Panchal, police inspector, LCB, Navsari.