Gujarat man runs away with police SUV, arrested after six-hour chase

A Gujarat resident identified as Mohit Sharma reportedly executed his threat to steal a police vehicle earlier this week. The incident unfolded in Dwarka, where Sharma, drove off with the SUVnearly 200 km to Jamnagar where he was apprehended by police.

Sharma is also currently embroiled in a dafamation case in Kutch district, The Times of India reported.

Sharma clicked selfies with the stolen police vehicle and shared the images on his social media accounts throughout the purported escapade.

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The theft reportedly occurred around 8:15 am on Thursday, with authorities managing to intercept him near Ambar Chokdi in Jamnagar at approximately 2:30 pm, reportedThe Times of India.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Samir Sarda, told the newspaper that Sharma had initially arrived in Dwarka on a motorcycle, ostensibly claiming to be on his way to offer prayers at a Hindu shrine dedicated to the god Krishna.

Subsequently, he strategically parked the bike near the police station before making off with the stolen SUV.

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Sarda noted, "There is a continuous flow of tourists in Dwarka, and many times the staff members take cars in emergencies. So, the police station officer (PSO) may not have noticed anything unusual in the car being taken without informing him. He saw the car was being driven out but he did not see the driver’s face."

The police were alerted after the driver of the police vehicle realised it was missing.

SUV escapade came after threat to steal police vehicle

Sharma, already under investigation for defamation by the Gandhidham police, had previously issued a threat to steal a police vehicle. The Deputy Superintendent of Police suspects Sharma's motive may have been to sell the stolen car for scrap, The Times of India reported.