MBA Student Arrested in Hyderabad for Stealing Mahindra Thar Spare Wheels
A 23-year-old MBA student was arrested by the police on Saturday for allegedly stealing spare wheels and rims from parked vehicles, after a case was reported outside Galaxy Enclave Apartments in Rethibowli. Investigators recovered 15 stolen wheels from the accused, identified as Soban Ali Khan, including 12 taken from Mahindra Thar vehicles.
The investigation was launched following a formal complaint filed on October 20 regarding the theft of a spare wheel from a Mahindra Thar parked outside the Rethibowli residential complex. Officers registered a case and reviewed CCTV footage from the location, which captured Khan arriving on a scooter to execute the theft.
The surveillance footage showed Khan sitting on his scooter and operating his mobile phone before walking up to the black Thar to target the stepney mounted on its rear tailgate. He retreated to his scooter twice when an oncoming scooter and another person passed by. After standing beside his two-wheeler for nearly a minute while watching the lane, he returned to the Thar, detached the tyre within seconds, and fled the scene.
Investigators revealed that Khan used a unique approach to acquire equipment for the thefts. He visited local puncture repair shops, claimed he required tools to fix a flat tyre, and paid a refundable deposit of Rs 200 to Rs 300. Armed with a spanner, he easily detached the spare wheels before returning the tools to recover his deposit money. Police noted that Khan possessed practical knowledge of car wheels because his father works at a wheel-alignment shop.
During interrogation, Khan disclosed his alleged involvement in 11 theft cases registered across 10 police station jurisdictions. These include two cases in Attapur, as well as incidents under Film Nagar, Langar House, Gudimalkapur, Saifabad, Chandrayangutta, Chaderghat, Chatrinaka, Meerpet, and Narayanguda police limits. In addition to the Thar tyres, police recovered two Ford Endeavour wheels and one Ford EcoSport wheel.
Police said they will seek Khan's custody to determine when the thefts began and whether he is linked to further offences. Investigators are also examining where the stolen automobile parts were disposed of and are working to identify buyers in the resale network.
