A shopping trip turned distressing for a 75-year-old woman in Bengaluru when her autorickshaw driver allegedly robbed her after she refused to make an online transfer to his account, Times of India reported.
According to the report, the incident occurred on the evening of July 4 and is currently under investigation by the Commercial Street police.
The woman, a resident of Frazer Town, had flagged down an auto near a market to return home. After negotiating the fare down from ₹150 to ₹100, she boarded the vehicle, expecting a routine ride.
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Midway through the journey, the driver made an unexpected request: he asked her to transfer ₹20,000 online to his bank account, offering to hand over the equivalent amount in cash.
Shocked and confused, the woman declined. What followed took a troubling turn.
{{/usCountry}}Shocked and confused, the woman declined. What followed took a troubling turn.
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Near RBI Circle in Halasur, between 7 and 7.30 pm, the driver pulled over abruptly and asked her to step out. As she reached for the ₹100 she owed him, carrying ₹10,000 in cash inside an envelope, the driver allegedly snatched the envelope from her hands and sped off before she could react, the report added.
A case of robbery has been registered under Section 304 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which covers offences of snatching. Authorities have launched a search to trace and identify the driver based on CCTV footage and possible transaction records.
In January, a 29-year-old professional in Bengaluru encountered a disturbing situation while walking home. An autorickshaw driving against the flow of traffic pulled up beside him.
The driver, accompanied by another man, hurled a provocative remark in an apparent attempt to start a confrontation. Sensing trouble, the man tried to distance himself. But the two men got out of the auto and began chasing him on foot. The attackers then forced him to unlock his phone and give access to his payment apps, transferring ₹24,000 using a QR code.
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