Mumbai: A 19-year-old student from Sangli, studying in the United States, was robbed by allegedly an auto-rickshaw driver in the city. The student landed at Sahar airport on Dec 14 and hired the rickshaw. The Sahar police arrested the driver, Ritesh Kadam (26), on Dec 17 using vehicle information given by the student.
The police said the rickshaw driver admitted he was in urgent need of money, and assumed that the newcomer to Mumbai would not report the matter.
“The rickshaw has been seized. The driver has no criminal history, but he could have targetted others similarly,” said an officer from Sahar police station.
The student, who was to board a train for Sangli, said that the autorickshaw driver took him to Chembur. “The meter fare showed Rs 106, but the driver demanded Rs 3,500. When I told him what the meter showed, he dialled some number and asked someone to come and threatened to harm me if I refused to pay up what he demanded,” the student told TOI.
Under duress, he paid Rs 1000 in cash and transferred Rs 2,500 through GPay before changing his train travel plan, and instead took a bus to Sangli. “The incident, which took place shortly after I had arrived from Chicago, has left me quite distressed,” the student said.
After reaching Sangli, he contacted Sahar police station on email, and also sent across photographic evidence. The authorities subsequently arrested the autorickshaw driver based on the student’s complaint.
Such cheating of newcomers to the city is common especially outside railway stations and the city airport. A Sahar police official said such incidents go unreported as passengers, particularly those unfamiliar with Mumbai, seldom return to register complaints, encouraging offenders. “The student was initially hesitant to return to Mumbai to file the FIR, but cooperated later,” said the officer.
Mumbai: A 19-year-old student from Sangli, studying in the United States, was robbed by allegedly an auto-rickshaw driver in the city. The student landed at Sahar airport on Dec 14 and hired the rickshaw. The Sahar police arrested the driver, Ritesh Kadam (26), on Dec 17 using vehicle information given by the student.
The police said the rickshaw driver admitted he was in urgent need of money, and assumed that the newcomer to Mumbai would not report the matter.
“The rickshaw has been seized. The driver has no criminal history, but he could have targetted others similarly,” said an officer from Sahar police station.
The student, who was to board a train for Sangli, said that the autorickshaw driver took him to Chembur. “The meter fare showed Rs 106, but the driver demanded Rs 3,500. When I told him what the meter showed, he dialled some number and asked someone to come and threatened to harm me if I refused to pay up what he demanded,” the student told TOI.
Under duress, he paid Rs 1000 in cash and transferred Rs 2,500 through GPay before changing his train travel plan, and instead took a bus to Sangli. “The incident, which took place shortly after I had arrived from Chicago, has left me quite distressed,” the student said.
After reaching Sangli, he contacted Sahar police station on email, and also sent across photographic evidence. The authorities subsequently arrested the autorickshaw driver based on the student’s complaint.
Such cheating of newcomers to the city is common especially outside railway stations and the city airport. A Sahar police official said such incidents go unreported as passengers, particularly those unfamiliar with Mumbai, seldom return to register complaints, encouraging offenders. “The student was initially hesitant to return to Mumbai to file the FIR, but cooperated later,” said the officer.
