For the police, the revelation was stunning: the man tasked with upholding law and order was allegedly orchestrating one of the region’s most organized car theft networks. Constable Manish Kumar Chauhan, posted at Loni police station in Ghaziabad, is accused of not only protecting a gang of car thieves but directing their operations himself.
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Orders by WhatsApp
The case broke open on September 1, when police arrested four members of the so-called Salmani gang. Officers recovered seven stolen cars, fake license plates and electronic hacking devices. During interrogation, the suspects said it was Chauhan who placed their “orders” — calling them on WhatsApp to specify which vehicle to steal.
A Cup of Tea, and a Missing SUV
Suspicion deepened after a Brezza SUV was seized from a factory in Muradnagar. According to investigators, Chauhan suggested his fellow officers step away “for tea.” In their absence, gang members made off with the vehicle.
What Chauhan overlooked was a GPS tracker already installed in the car. The device traced the vehicle’s movements, exposing the conspiracy and pointing directly to the policeman in uniform.
A Record of Controversy
It was hardly Chauhan’s first brush with scandal. In 2019, while posted in Hapur, he was booked after the custodial death of a detainee and was briefly jailed. He had been suspended multiple times during his career, yet managed to return to the force again and again.
A Network Across States
Police say the car theft operation extended far beyond Ghaziabad. Vehicles were lifted from Delhi-NCR and trafficked into Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and even Jharkhand. SUVs and high-demand models fetched higher prices in distant markets, turning auto theft into what investigators describe as a parallel economy.
Departmental Action
Ghaziabad’s Additional Police Commissioner, Alok Priyadarshi, confirmed Chauhan’s suspension.
“We have called for records of all his previous postings. A full departmental inquiry is underway, and strict action will follow,” he said.
A Breach of Trust
The case has left the police force grappling with a deeper question: how many more “insiders” are eroding the foundations of law enforcement from within?
For many residents, the shock is personal. As one car owner in Ghaziabad put it:
“If the very people we trust to protect us are the ones running the crime, then who do we turn to?”