An NRI hotelier from Bangalore was allegedly robbed of cash and valuables worth Rs 11.50 lakh by a taxi driver and his associates in suburban Santa Cruz.
Aarakant Sreedhar Kumar (26), who owns a hotel in Bangalore and was to proceed for Canada, had arrived at the Santa Cruz airport on Monday evening and hired a taxi to reach an acquaintance's place at Lokhandwala complex in suburban Andheri, police said.
Instead of taking him to Lokhandwala, the taxi driver took him to Andheri-Kurla link road and asked Kumar to get down, police said.
Meanwhile, three persons arrived in a car and robbed Kumar of his luggage and valuables, before escaping along with the taxi driver, police said, adding that they took away three luggage bags, a diamond ring, a laptop, $20,000, a wrist watch and a passport, all estimated to be Rs 11.50 lakh.
DCP Shashikant Shinde said that the statement of Kumar has been recorded and search was on for the taxi driver.