Bike Thief Posed as Patient’s Kin to Steal Bikes from GMCH

Nagpur: Ajni police nabbed a bike thief on Sunday from the Govt Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). The thief used to befriend patients' kin by posing as the relative of a fictitious patient, and steal their bikes.
Preyansh Warudkar (41) was at Govt Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) a couple of months ago for his wife's delivery, where he got the idea of stealing bikes to earn fast cash. The idea initially worked out so well for Warudkar that he decided to shift from his regular job at a company in Hingna to become a full-fledged bike thief. The spate of thefts by him even forced cops to put up a signboard outside the trauma centre of GMCH, cautioning about bike thieves and directing two-wheelers to designated parking spots only.
Finally, an Ajni police team led by senior inspector Nitin Rajkumar outsmarted him using CCTV footage, and trapped him at GMCH.
Police said Warudkar would pose as kin of an admitted patient outside the trauma centre. He would bring his tiffin and a water bottle to have meals with others sitting there. Warudkar would keep watch on those recklessly parking two-wheelers, and target them.
Warudkar mostly tried to find targets near the rest house for patients' kin at GMCH. He would come around 9pm and drive away with bikes by dawn after sleeping on the floors or stairs, posing as a patient's kin, said police.
The cops started scanning CCTV footage at GMCH to collect clues. After spotting the suspect in one of the clips, the cops showed the image to some patients' kin at GMCH. One of the patients' kin immediately identified him.
Following tips from the cops, one of the patients' kin invited Warudkar to share dinner. Then, he was nabbed by the waiting cops.
Police have recovered seven stolen bikes from him, including one he stole from Mayo Hospital. "Most of the bikes Warudkar mortgaged for money while he sold a couple of them at throwaway prices," said Rajkumar, who is probing the case under the supervision of Zonal DCP Rashmitha Rao and AddlCP Shivajirao Rathod.