Woman confronts Charminar man claiming to be a rapido driver
Hyderabad: A man reportedly posed as a Rapido driver and asked a woman if she needed a ride near Charminar in Hyderabad on Saturday night, August 8, all while his scooter bore no number plate.
Social media influencer Siddeshwari Sugandh shared a video on August 9 claiming that a man named Mohammad Irfan approached her while she was enquiring about auto rickshaws nearby at around 9 PM in the bustling Charminar area.
“I am Siddhi and live in Hyderabad,” she said in her Instagram video.
“While I was fighting with that man, I was in these clothes,” she said, pointing to her attire, a kurti covered in a shawl.
“Woh bandha aage aakar mujhe bol raha hai ki main drop kardu kya jab ki uno koi Rapido driver nahi hai (this guy, who isn’t even a Rapido driver, came up to me and asked if he could drop me off),” Sugandh recounted the incident.
The influencer said she immediately began recording after the fake Rapido driver approached her. When Sugandh asked Irfan for his Rapido ID, he deflected, saying, “Aapko jhut bolkar kya karunga madam mein (What would I gain by lying to you, Madam)?”
Sugandh insisted on the ID, questioning how he could approach her without her booking a ride. While he searched for an ID, she pointed out that he was driving the two-wheeler without a valid number plate.
The number plate only had the letters “TG” on it, with the actual registration number missing. “How are you driving without a number?” Sugandh asked again, to which Irfan replied, “Chala lete madam, zyaada nahi chalate kabhi kabhi ghar ku jaate waqt (I do drive, Madam; I don’t drive much—just occasionally on the way home).”
When asked for the ID again, the man said the app “was not opening”. Sugandh claimed that when she initially asked for an official Rapido driver ID, she saw him download the app.
“Instead of showing me his driver ID, he started downloading the Rapido app from the Play Store. That’s when I realised something was clearly not right,” her Instagram caption read.
Irfan then said his scooter wouldn’t start, further angering Sugandh. “Gaadi chalu nahi hori, aur aap meku puchre aap mujhe kyu puchre kai bhi chodu kya (The car isn’t starting, and you’re asking me, Why are you asking to drop me somewhere)?”
Sugandh snatched his phone, its display still on the “enter OTP” stage after downloading the app. “Road pe kya karna chah re (What are you trying to do on the road)?” Irfan told her.
“Seedha nikal yaha se (Get out of here right now),” Sugandh said, even as the man tried to inform her that his vehicle wouldn’t start. “Sharam aari? Dhakke maarleteve leke jao ab (Are you not ashamed? Push it along and leave).”
She clarified that she never takes Rapido bikes and always prefers autos or cabs. “I have been using Rapido regularly, and I genuinely trust the app,” her caption read.
Sugandh said she immediately questioned the man, noting that Rapido usually conducts extensive safety checks during and after rides. “What honestly shocked me was the confidence with which he approached a woman at 9 PM and offered her a ride without any prior booking or verification.”
She asserted that the post was not to create fear among women passengers but awareness. “Please always verify your driver through the app before getting into any vehicle, and if someone approaches you randomly claiming to be your driver, don’t get in until you have verified them.”
The influencer reiterated that she does not blame Rapido. Rather, she trusts its service and has always felt safer using the app. “I’m sharing this because this person used the Rapido name to gain my trust, even though he wasn’t actually a Rapido driver.”
She added, “I hope this can help prevent something similar from happening to someone else.”
This post was last modified on August 10, 2026 7:24 pm