Car thief on the run disrupted cop's jog, but couldn't go far

The SUV Yashwant Hari Shigwan tried to steal, but constable Shailesh Shigwan caught him

It was a usual Wednesday morning for constable Shailesh Shigwan, who left his home on the dot at 4.30 am for his daily morning run. Only he didn't know then that it would be a different kind of run that day.

Not only did the alert 35-year-old cop spot a car thief below his building at first glance, but he also nabbed him after giving him chase on his bike for nearly an hour.

The arrested accused has been identified as Yashwant Hari Shigwan, 66, a Khar resident, who has more than 25 cases of motor vehicle theft registered against his name.

Hari Shigwan

High-speed chase
Shailesh, who is attached to the Malabar Hill police station, lives on LD Ruparel Road in Walkeshwar. The incident happened on August 8. "I left home at 4.30 am and saw a man in his 60s standing near an SUV. I knew the owner of the car and immediately realised that this man was a thief. I warned him to stop, but he hopped into the car and drove off," said Shailesh, adding, "I ran back to my building and followed him on my bike."

With it being wee hours, there were hardly any vehicles on the road, and the thief managed to drive to Central Mumbai. "Because I was riding, there was no way I could take out my phone and call someone. So I decided to keep on his tail, confident that sooner or later I would catch him," said Shailesh.

Shailesh Shigwan

The thief then headed to Dadar, and in haste, took a right turn from Portuguese Church and came near Dadar station. When he reached close to Nakshatra Mall, the early morning hustle-bustle of the roadside vendors forced him to slow down. "That's when I accelerated and managed to overtake the car and block his way. The thief tried to run away, but with the help of passers-by, I nabbed him."

A pat on the back
DCP (zone II) Dr Dnyaneshwar Chavan said, "Our constable chased down the thief and immediately informed the main control room. Thanks to his alertness, we have caught a serial offender. We are proud of him."

"We are yet to verify how this man managed to get a duplicate key of that SUV. He has been booked under IPC sections 379 (theft) and 427 (mischief causing damage over amount of 50 thousand rupees). He was produced in court and sent to police custody," said an officer.

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