Bengaluru Man poses as doctor, dupes cab driver of Rs 10,500

Bengaluru: A 44-year-old man, posing as a doctor, found himself in police custody on Monday as the Magadi Road police arrested him for allegedly defrauding cab drivers using fake currency. The suspect was apprehended following a complaint by Chandrashekhar M, a cab driver hailing from Kadri, who disclosed a loss amounting to Rs 10,500.  

According to police, the accused, assuming the guise of a doctor affiliated with a renowned hospital, engaged a cab for a journey from Bengaluru to Kadri, located in Andhra Pradesh. En route, the perpetrator orchestrated a plan and stopped for dinner at a nearby establishment along Magadi Road. Subsequently, he solicited the driver's assistance in transferring ₹10,000 to his digital account, promising immediate cash reimbursement, reports The Hindu. 

As recounted by the police, the victim, being a good human being, transferred the money to a specified number provided by the imposter, unaware that it was the payment contact of the dining venue. Following the plan, the accused managed to procure cash from the establishment's cashier under the guise of a legitimate transaction, while providing fake bills to the unsuspecting driver. He absconded without settling the bill for their meal and even borrowed the driver's phone and left behind an old bag.

The scheme unravelled when the driver, awaiting the return of the purported doctor, realized his vanishing act and promptly reported the incident to the authorities. Acting swiftly upon the complaint, a dedicated police team spearheaded by Inspector Raju G.P. traced the accused to his residence in Tambaram, Chennai. During the arrest, police officers seized 21 fake Rs 500 denomination notes and nine mobile phones valued at ₹90,000, reports The Daily. 

Mr Raju stated that despite his claims of practising Unani medicine, investigations revealed that the suspect's purported credentials and documents were fabricated, and awaiting authentication. Furthermore, the accused purportedly admitted to employing similar fraudulent tactics in multiple instances, with an existing cheating case pending against him at the Siddapura police station in the city.

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