How rental cars stolen using Zoom cars app, how SR Nagar police cracked case, arrested three

HYDERABAD: The SR Nagar police on Sunday apprehended a gang of notorious offenders involved in cheating innocent people using fake ID cards and stealing cars booked through the Zoom Cars, a car rental company.

The accused persons, identified as Mohd Osman Ali, Mohammed Amer Ali, and Ameer Ali, all residents of Balapur, were arrested while they were moving under suspicious circumstances near ESI Hospital, Erragadda. Another accused, Niloufer, is currently absconding.

The gang was involved in similar cheating cases in nine different police stations in Chandanagar, RGIA, Kothur, Shadnagar, Rajendranagar, SR Nagar, Neredmet, RC Puram and Raghunathpally (Warangal).

The main accused also indulged in rash driving with the stolen vehicle. After he was nabbed by the car owner and handed over to the police, he escaped from police custody while being shifted to a hospital for the treatment of injuries he suffered during rash driving.

According to the police, the accused persons would install the Zoom Car app, download Aadhar cards, and driving licenses from the OLX app, create fake IDs, and use them to steal cars by posing as legitimate customers. The criminals would then escape, avoiding any attempts at contact.

On October 25, 2023, the accused, Mohd Ameer Ali, approached Mallela Mohan Reddy, a car rental business owner, posing as a legitimate customer. Using a fake booking ID, he took the keys for a test drive and never returned. Mohan Reddy immediately lodged a complaint with the SR Nagar police station.

The next day, the main accused Osman Ali, while coming from Begumpet towards Erragadda Via Maitrivanam in the stolen car, stopped at the red signal at Maitrivanam Junction. In the meantime, when the complainant identified the accused and tried to stop the car, the accused managed to escape from the spot. He was followed by Mohan Reddy, so the accused, in a rash and negligent manner, hit a lady while driving, causing her minor injuries.

From there, the accused further continued to drive the car very rashly and negligently and hit two persons near Punjagutta Junction. The nearby public, along with Mohan Reddy, caught hold of the main accused and intimated the Panjagutta Police, handing over the accused to them. The car was shifted to Panjagutta Police Station.

Later, as the accused received injuries, he was shifted by the Panjagutta police to Gandhi Hospital to provide treatment. However, while undergoing treatment, the accused managed to escape from the Hospital. In this regard, another case was booked against him at the Chilakalaguda Police Station.

As per the instructions of superior officers, special teams were formed from SR Nagar PS and South East Task Force to apprehend the accused persons who are on the run.

The accused persons were finally apprehended near Erragadda, where they had come to visit the other accused, Osman and Amer Ali's mother, who was undergoing treatment at Cheste Hospital.

The police recovered two cell phones worth Rs. 60,000, along with fake documents during the arrest. The accused have been arrested on multiple charges, including sections 379, 406, 420, 467, 468, 471, 120(B) IPC, and Sec. 66(C) & 66(D) of the IT Act.

The investigation was supervised by ACP SR Nagar A.V Rao, and supported by the South East Task Force.