Rourkela: Rourkela police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly stealing electric scooters after pretending to take them for repair. Police seized four stolen electric vehicles in connection with the case.

The accused, Aman Adhikari, a resident of Kabisamratpali, Sector-5, Rourkela, was apprehended on Sunday, October 26.

The investigation began following a complaint lodged by Rushikesh Rajesh Dandale (21), a B.Tech student at NIT Rourkela, who was defrauded earlier this month.

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The Complaint

On September 21, 2025, Rushikesh handed over his new Zelio Gracy electric scooter to Aman, believing him to be associated with Future Motors, the dealership from which he purchased the vehicle. Aman had agreed to repair the scooter after Rushikesh contacted him about some technical issues.

Aman took the vehicle from the NIT Rourkela gate, receiving an advance payment of Rs 500 via Google Pay. Later, on October 5, 2025, he demanded another Rs 500, claiming he was returning the scooter, but failed to do so. After this, his phone went switched off and he became untraceable.

The Scam and Seizures

During their investigation, police discovered that Aman was running a scam, taking electric scooters from multiple customers under the pretense of repairing them and then selling the vehicles at a significantly reduced price.

The Investigating Officer seized four stolen electric scooters—a Zelio Gracy, a Yakuza Sparow, a Loev, and an Okinawa Praise Pro—from four individuals: Sohit Kumar Sahu, Biswanath Sahu, Binod Kumar Patra, and Jaydeep Gupta. These individuals were also served notices in connection with the possession of stolen property.

Aman Adhikari, who was previously involved in other cases, was arrested by ASI S. K. Dehury of Sector-3 Police Station and will be forwarded to the SDJM Court, Rourkela.

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