Kirkatwadi, 29th July 2023: Renting out a car through the popular app ‘Zoomcar’ turned into a costly ordeal for a car owner when the renter failed to return the vehicle. The aggrieved car owner lodged a complaint at Haveli Police Station (Pune rural), prompting a diligent operation by the police to recover the car, which was traced to Gujarat. However, the accused, identified as Avinash Mawekar, remains at large.
Avinash Mawekar allegedly approached car owners on the Zoomcar app, gaining their trust before renting the car for an agreed-upon period of four days initially, and later extending it to three more days. To ensure a smooth rental process, the accused had submitted his Aadhaar card and driving license details, as required by the app’s rules.
Upon the completion of the rental period, the car owner attempted to contact Avinash for the car’s return, but he started avoiding calls and ignored the car owner’s requests. Using the car’s GPS system, the car owners discovered that the accused had taken the car to various locations but failed to return it despite their numerous efforts.
Realizing that they had been deceived, the car owners promptly filed a complaint with the Haveli police station.
Under the guidance of Officer-in-Charge of Haveli police station, Anmol Mittal (trainee IPS officer), the investigative team, led by Assistant Police Inspector Madhuri Taware and Police Constable Vilas Pradhan, verified the technical data and successfully located the car in Vapi, Gujarat.
Subsequently, Assistant Police Inspector Madhuri Taware and Police Constable Vilas Pradhan traveled to Gujarat and retrieved the car that had been abandoned by the accused.
As the search for Avinash Mawekar continues, Officer-in-Charge Anmol Mittal assured that, in accordance with the law, the car will be returned to its rightful owners as soon as the legal process concludes.
The incident serves as a reminder for car owners to exercise caution while renting out their vehicles and to verify the credentials of renters thoroughly. It also highlights the importance of reporting such incidents promptly to law enforcement agencies to ensure a swift resolution.
