The operation, carried out on September 21, followed a complaint lodged on September 3 by Naushad Khan, a resident of Mehboob Layout, who said he had been cheated in a car deal after paying a ₹20,000 advance for an SUV that was later handed over with a counterfeit registration certificate.
Investigators questioned a dealer’s associate on September 14, who alleged that the gang produced forged documents using a dedicated machine, government seals, stamp papers, a computer and a printer. The suspect, identified as Somesh, a 46‑year‑old bank agent from Kengeri Satellite Town, was remanded to police custody for nine days.
Further interrogations on September 21 led officers to a location near BTS Road where nine cars and a two‑wheeler, including the SUV bought by the complainant, were recovered. A second associate was detained near Double Road on September 22; both men confessed to their roles in the racket.
Police have named three primary suspects: Somesh, the bank agent; Santosh S. alias Appu, a 37‑year‑old real‑estate businessman from Jnanabharathi; and Prabhakar, a 43‑year‑old car dealer from Soladevanahalli. The main car dealer and several other participants remain at large and are being pursued.
In a parallel case, Annapoorneshwari Nagar police arrested 44‑year‑old car dealer Guruprasad P. for selling pledged vehicles, seizing 23 vehicles worth ₹1.51 crore after a complaint by a loan‑strapped buyer. The two investigations underscore a growing pattern of fraudulent vehicle transactions in the city.
City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh urged the public to verify all vehicle documents thoroughly before purchasing second‑hand cars at low prices and called on the Transport Department to upgrade security features on registration documents to curb forgery.