Panchkula, April 16 -- What began as a probe into the theft of a tractor-trolley from a petrol pump in Pinjore has led the Panchkula police to a lone mechanic who stole vehicles to sell them as spares.

Jagtar Singh, alias Gora, 35, a resident of Kheri village in Patiala, was arrested on April 11 after a multi-district chase that saw investigators scan nearly 300 CCTV footage clips to track him down.

The manhunt, launched after piecing together his movement across districts and state borders, led to the recovery of stolen vehicles worth around Rs.40 lakh.

With no initial leads, the case, registered at the Pinjore police station on a complaint by Ram Karan, was handed over to the detective staff.

The investigators began reconstructing t...