In a dramatic turn of events, a luxury Mercedes-Benz GLS 350 D 4MATIC, valued at approximately ₹50 lakh, was stolen from the basement parking of Iris Exotica Flats in Anandnagar between 12.30 am and 9.00 am on December 6.
The owner, Mahesh Chunara, a realty broker and resident of the apartment complex, filed a complaint with the Anand Nagar police station on Thursday. Chunara stated that he parked the blue 2019 model SUV, bearing a GJ-01 registration, in the building’s parking area on December 3.
He noticed the car missing on the morning of December 6. After confirming with his wife that it had not been lent out, Chunara conducted a search in the vicinity before approaching the police.
Investigations have revealed that the car was allegedly stolen by Vishal Gala, a friend of Chunara, using a duplicate key. The vehicle had been purchased in 2019 through a loan registered under Neha Gala, Vishal’s wife, due to loan eligibility constraints.
Despite the loan and associated taxes being paid in full by Chunara, Gala reportedly withheld the No Objection Certificate (NOC), citing additional monetary demands.
Speaking on the case, Inspector VJ Desai of Anandnagar Police said, “We have documents proving that Chunara paid the loan amount and taxes, which establish his ownership of the car, even though it is registered under Neha Gala’s name. Despite this, Vishal was demanding more money from Chunara and refused to hand over the NOC.”
CCTV footage from the apartment complex revealed that Vishal Gala stole the car around 4 am on December 6. Further inquiries found that he visited a Mercedes showroom later that day to deactivate the vehicle’s remaining keys. The showroom staff reportedly alerted Gala about the action, complicating the situation further.
Police have identified the accused and are actively working to apprehend him. “We have substantial evidence, including the CCTV footage and financial documents, and we expect to take the accused into custody soon,” added Inspector Desai.
Additionally, authorities discovered that Vishal Gala is also under investigation in a separate cheating case lodged with the Ahmedabad Cyber Cell in 2022. Gala posed as a victim of Rs27 crore of financial cyber fraud and misled the Ahmedabad Police.