Police said Singh had come to one of the discotheques in Sector 26 with his friends to celebrate New Year. He had parked his Maruti Alto Car (CH04 6033) outside the Voodoo at around 8.30 pm. He found the car missing at 12.30 am.

“I thought I parked my car in a protected area. Police personnel were around and I am shocked to realise that the car was stolen despite that,” he said.

An officer at the Sector-26 police station said: “How can the police stop anybody from lifting a car? How do we know that a person driving a car is its real owner or not? Thousands of people visited the area and it was difficult to verify the records at the exit of the parking.” Police said they have registered a case and are investigating.

Several thefts reported from across the city
The last 24 hours saw a spurt in theft incidents as miscreants struck at various places in the city. In an incident reported from Industrial Area in Phase-II last night, theives broke open an almirah and fled with Rs 1.80 lakh from an industrial unit. In another incident, unknown persons stole a briefcase containing important documents by breaking the window of the car. S R Garg, a resident of Panchkula, said in his complaint that he had parked his car (HR14E 0040) near the Shani Mandir housing board light point. His briefcase was missing when he returned, he told the police.