New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) A 77-year-old automobile thief known as 'Super Natwarlal' was arrested for the 24th time, Delhi Police said on Wednesday.
Accused Dhani Ram Mittal was into stealing vehicles since 1964 and was arrested from Paschim Vihar area on Tuesday evening by the anti-auto theft squad of Delhi Police when he was going to sell a stolen Maruti Esteem car, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Pushpendra Kumar said in a statement.
According to the officer, Mittal confessed during questionign that he was a kleptomaniac and had stolen more than a 1,000 cars from Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh and Punjab in the past.
According to police, Mittal used to target old vehicles which lacked anti-theft features.
Police said Mittal was involved in more than 130 criminal cases in north India, and was first arrested in 1964 for preparing forged documents.
A permanent resident of Sonepat in Haryana, Mittal was arrested earlier this year on March 31. After coming out from jail on May 4, Mittal returned to his old ways of crime, police said.
"After his release from jail, Mittal stole three vehicles in quick succession from Shalimar Bagh, Parshant Vihar and K.N. Katju Marg, which was established through CCTV footage," the officer added.
The police claimed Mittal holds a law degree and also pursued a diploma in calligraphy from Kolkata.
Earlier, he was arrested in cases registered under the Narcotics, Drugs and Psychotropic Sunstances Act, Arms Act, Gambling Act, Excise Act and for escaping from police custody, impersonation and cheating.
