Bengaluru: A Rapido driver in Bengaluru reportedly stole a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra from a passenger during a ride and later demanded Rs 18,000 to return it. The phone sells for nearly a lakh in India.
The incident from September 6 occurred in Bengaluru when the complainant booked a two-wheeler ride from Narayanappa Garden to Marathahalli at 5.54 pm. The complaint, filed by Trideep Debnath on September 10, has seen no progress so far, with the accused still absconding.
The driver was identified as Ashutosh Kumar and had allegedly arrived with his two-wheeler with a different number plate than that shown on the Rapido app. The complainant hopped on and charged his phone on the scooter after taking the driver’s permission. According to Debnath, accused Kumar stopped near a petrol station in Madiwala and informed the complainant that he would be checking his tyre for air pressure.
Accused sends UPI request
However, when Debnath got off the vehicle, the driver sped away with the phone. The issue took a turn when the driver allegedly called the complainant’s sister via WhatsApp. He demanded that Debnath pay Rs 18,000 for the phone and sent a Unified Payments Interface (UPI) request from a different number.
Debnath contacted the driver, urging him to return the phone. The driver reportedly refused to give it back until the payment was made. Debnath then approached the police to register a complaint.
Police said the accused is yet to be arrested. A case of criminal intimidation and theft has been registered, they said.
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