Auto driver arrested for extorting ₹3,500 from US student

MUMBAI: The Sahar police on Saturday arrested an autorickshaw driver for allegedly extorting ₹3,500 from a 19-year-old student, who had arrived from the United States of America, when the meter showed ₹106 as fare for the trip.

The student, Vishwajeet Patil, who is originally from Sangli, arrived at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on December 14 and took an auto for Dadar railway station to go to his hometown, not knowing that autos are banned beyond Bandra.

The auto driver, identified as Ritesh Kadam, 26, took the complainant to Chembur highway and stopped the auto near a bus stop where outstation buses stop, where he was forced to pay the exorbitant amount.

According to police, on Thursday, they received an email from the teenager detailing the incident. He mentioned in the mail how the auto driver asked him to transfer ₹3,500 through online app even though the meter showed ₹106.

When the teenager refused, the driver threatened that he had called some men to come and assault him. The scared 19-year-old transferred the money and got into a bus to Sangli.

After reaching, he mustered the courage to report the incident via email and also mentioned the number of the auto in the mail.

The Sahar police traced the auto and arrested the driver. “Based on the statement of the student and the number plate, we arrested the auto driver. Such incidents do happen, but they are not reported often,” said a police officer.

“I had just arrived in India after many years and had to go through the distressing situation,” said the teenager, without elaborating about the incident.