New Delhi: Having stolen over 1000 cars across North India and with 130 cases registered against him , Dhani Ram Mittal is infamous as'Super Natwarlal' or India's 'Charles Shobhraj' among police circles. A compulsive thief by habit (kleptomaniac), has been arrested for the 24th time.
The anti auto theft squad of west Delhi police on Tuesday arrested 77-year-old Mr Mittal, active in stealing vehicles since 1964, from Paschim Vihar area at around 7 pm, said Pushpendra Kumar, DCP(west).
Mr Mittal who was born in Haryana's Bhiwani in 1939 holds a law degree besides having a diploma in calligraphy. At least 130 criminal cases are registered against him in different parts of North India.
During interrogation, Mr Mittal said that he is a compulsive thief (kleptomaniac) and had stolen more than a thousand cars from Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh and Punjab, the officer said.
Mr Mittal usually targeted old model vehicles lacking anti-theft devices, with the help of a master key.
His interrogation is in progress to know about his involvement in other criminal activities, the officer said.
Mr Mittal started his criminal career from Rohtak by forging driving licenses and registration papers of vehicles. He was arrested for the first time in 1964 in Rohtak for preparing forged documents of vehicles.
A law graduate, the man had first worked as a station master on forged documents between 1968 and 1974.
“Once he impersonated a magistrate in Jhajjar district and worked there for more than two months. During this time, he freed many criminals from jail,” Hindustan Times quoted a senior investigating officer as saying.
He also pursued calligraphy from Kolkata.
Mittal works as a lawyer and provides legal help to his friends. “He has been in an out of jail so many times that he has more friends in jail than outside. He helps them with their cases,” the officer said.
The accused was earlier arrested by police on March 31 this year in an auto-theft case and was released from jail on May 4.
He soon returned to his profession and stole three vehicles in quick succession from Shalimar Bagh, Parshant Vihar and K N Katju Marg, which were established through CCTV footage, the officer added.
(PTI inputs)
