Cab driver robbed of SUV in forest area

Praveen kumar| NT

A 35-year-old driver of a cab aggregator has been robbed of his SUV, cash and two mobile phones by an accused who booked the cab through the app. The victim picked the accused at Kengeri, which was the pickup point. The accused then took him to multiple locations and finally inside a forest area on the Kanakapura main road. After threatening the victim at knife point, the accused had escaped with the vehicle and other valuables. The victim who walked back to the main road from the forest managed to get a lift from an auto driver. The police have registered a case of robbery.

The victim has been identified as M Mohan Kumar, a resident of Bhuvaneshwarinagara at Kenchapura cross in the city. The incident happened at Dodduru foest area at Maralavadi on the Kanakapura Road on Tuesday evening at around 6.30 pm.

On Tuesday at around 3.30 pm, the victim got a booking from the concerned cab aggregator where he had attached his SUV with. Kumar picked the customer opposite the BMTC bus stand in Kengeri. The booking was made to Thalagattapura. When Kumar was approaching Thalagattapura, the passenger asked him to stop near the NICE Road. After getting down from the vehicle, the accused went inside an under construction building and returned after some time. The accused then told Kumar to drive towards Maralavadi on the Kanakapura Road as his owner was there and he had to collect money from him.

“The accused had promised the victim of additional payment then the actual booking cost. Kumar drove his SUV via Harohalli route and reached Maralavadi. The accused after getting down the SUV walked to some isolated place and returned after 20 minutes. After coming back to the driver, the accused told him that his owner was at home and they had to go there,” said an officer based on the complaint filed by the victim.

The accused took the driver to the forest area at Dodduru. After making the driver stop the vehicle, the accused pulled a knife and threatened Kumar to kill him. The accused robbed Kumar of Rs 4500 in cash, two mobile phones and even the SUV. The accused drove away the SUV towards Maralavadi after abandoning the victim inside the forest area.

“The accused was in the victim’s SUV for nearly three hours from 3.30 pm. It appears that he had already decided to rob the driver and went in search of some safe location. Booking details of the accused has also been sought from the cab aggregator,” the officer added.

The victim reached the police station at around 8.45 pm and filed a complaint.The police have registered a case of robbery under section 392 of the Indian Penal Code. Further investigation is on.