Joint Operation by Lalbagh Police and Cyber Police Uncovers Network Using Fake Number Plates to Evade Detection
Published on: July 24, 2026
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
In a major breakthrough, Lalbagh Police Station and Cyber Police Station, Rajnandgaon, have jointly busted an inter-state motorcycle theft gang and arrested three accused persons. Police have recovered six stolen motorcycles from their possession.
According to the police, the accused used fake number plates on stolen motorcycles to conceal their identities and evade detection.
The arrested accused have been identified as Pankaj Mandia (19), a resident of Sanwaritola under Rawanwada Police Station in Gondia district, Maharashtra; Prateek Gaygaye (23), also a resident of Sanwaritola under Rawanwada Police Station, Gondia district, Maharashtra; and Kamlesh Nakhate (26), a resident of Ladsa village under Lanji Police Station in Balaghat district, Madhya Pradesh.
The operation was conducted under the direction of Superintendent of Police Ankita Sharma and the guidance of Additional Superintendent of Police Kirtan Rathore and City Superintendent of Police Vaishali Jain.
According to the police, Pendri resident Shubham Yadav had reported on July 8, 2026, that his Hero Splendor motorcycle bearing registration number CG 08 AR 1062 had been stolen near Sher-e-Punjab Dhaba. A case was registered at Lalbagh Police Station under Crime No. 287/2026 under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), following which an investigation was launched.
During the investigation, the joint police team analysed CCTV footage obtained by the Cyber Cell and acted on information received from an informer. The team laid a cordon near Devangan Dhaba on the Pendri Highway and detained three suspects.
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During questioning, the accused admitted to their involvement in motorcycle thefts and disclosed information about a total of six stolen motorcycles.
Of the recovered vehicles, one motorcycle had been stolen from the Lalbagh Police Station area, four from different parts of Raipur city and one from the Amgaon Police Station area of Gondia district in Maharashtra. Police have recovered all six motorcycles.
The investigation also revealed that the accused removed the original number plates from stolen vehicles and replaced them with fake number plates to conceal the identity of the motorcycles. One of the accused was also found to have knowingly kept a stolen vehicle in his possession.
Accordingly, Sections 336(3), 238, 317(2) and 3(5) of the BNS have also been added to the case.
The three accused were produced before the court and sent to judicial remand. Further investigation is underway, including a probe into their possible involvement in vehicle theft cases reported in other districts and states.
