In a bizarre incident that took place in Bengaluru, a conman stole a mobile phone from Kolar in Karnataka, and used it to book an Ola cab, before robbing the Ola driver of Rs 5,000 and his cell phone.
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The incident came to light when the app-based cab driver Hemakumar filed a complaint with the Vidhana Soudha police on Tuesday.
Hemakumar, a resident of Kogilu Cross of Yelahanka, has said that the accused had booked his cab on Tuesday.
Here's what happened
Hemakumar picked up the accused from Fraser Town in east Bengaluru to drop him at his chosen destination in Infantry Road.
"He sat next to me and was speaking on the phone. I could hear him promise the person on the other side that he'd arrange for a loan at low interest soon," the cab driver was quoted as saying by the Times of India. The culprit told Hemakumar that he was a manager of a private bank and handled the loan section.
He then later robbed Hemakumar. "He asked me whether I needed a loan. I said I was in need of Rs 10 lakh. He asked me to stop near Shivajinagar, went to a shop and took copies of my driving licence and office ID card," the cabbie explained to police.
"He told me I should pay Rs 10,000 towards incidental charges. I gave him Rs 2,500 in cash. I drew another Rs 2,500 from an ATM nearby and gave it to him. I promised to pay the balance in a day or two," he added.
The culprit then asked for the driver's iPhone.
"Saying he is going to his bank, he took my mobile and entered a building. After waiting for over two hours, I tried to reach him on my mobile number. But the phone was switched off," Kumar told police.
Hemakumar has also told the police that the accused spoke in fluent Kannada and was in his 20s.
When the police traced the number that was used to book the cab, they found out that it routed back to Kolar.
However, when the police went to Kolar on Wednesday, they were astonished to find that the cell phone was robbed from its owner on Sunday.
"To our surprise, a woman, who works as a school teacher, was living in the said address. When questioned, she told us that an unidentified miscreant had robbed her of her mobile phone on Sunday. She said she hadn't lodged a complaint as it was a low-end phone," the police officer said.
Police are investigating the case.
