Every week over the past few years, flight attendants on the two-hour flight from Guwahati to Delhi had been encountering two common faces: a middle-aged couple with expensive tastes. While the tall, dark and suited husband sported a Rolex watch, wore gold chains and rings, and carried a leather suitcase, the wife was dressed in formals and donned shades. A few days later, police personnel manning checkpoints on the 38-hour road journey from the Capital to Assam would see the same couple travelling in a high-end SUV. They spoke fluent English and passed off as hotshot entrepreneurs heading home after a business meeting.
Little did they know that the suave gentleman was none other than Anil Chauhan, 52, who, according to the police, has single-handedly stolen around 6,000 cars from across the country over the past 24 years and is the kingpin of a gang of 500 auto-lifters with an annual turnover of at least ₹60 crore. On September 5, Delhi Police revealed that it had finally nabbed him in the city on May 23 after being hot on his trail for several months. Geeta Devi, 48, Chauhan’s third wife, who had not accompanied him on this trip to Delhi, was questioned when the team travelled to Assam and let off, the police said.
The Hindu dug into Chauhan’s criminal records, FIRs and court orders in cases involving him, and spoke to investigators and neighbours to piece together his journey from being an ordinary cab driver in Delhi to an infamous car thief with around 300 cases, including attempt to murder, criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery and possessing illegal arms, lodged against him in Delhi, Assam and Meghalaya.
