BENGALURU: An accused in a criminal case, who walked out of Bengaluru Central Prison on bail on Dec 23, hired an autorickshaw and stole it right from under the nose of policemen by diverting the driver’s attention in south Bengaluru.
Autorickshaw driver Sudhakar, 44, told Banashankari police in his Dec 9 complaint that he was on Hosa Road near Parappana Agrahara waiting for passengers on Dec 23. Around 7pm, a man in his late 30s approached Sudhakar and told him that he needed to go to Banashankari police station and pick up two persons from there.
Sudhakar said he would charge Rs 800 for the trip, but the man bargained and both agreed for Rs 600. Sudhakar took him to Banashankari police station and stopped the vehicle in front of the station gate. The man asked him to park a little ahead as police would object to blocking their station entrance. The man went to a couple of shops before walking into the station.
He had a brief conversation with some policemen and spent around 10 minutes in the station. He came out and told Sudhakar that police in the station were calling him. Sudhakar in panic left the key in the auto and started walking into the station. The man immediately started the auto, saying he would be back after picking his parents who “stayed nearby”.
Sudhakar waited for the miscreant till 10.30pm and realised that he was tricked.
Sudhakar met the policemen who the miscreant spoke to and found that the latter had been arrested in a criminal case and was released on Dec 23. “It was only then I realised the miscreant hired my auto soon after he came out of prison and stole it,” he added.
Auto was a gift from wife
Sudhakar was working in a shop in KR Market before he started driving the auto. He’d informed his wife and children that he couldn’t work in the market anymore and said he wanted to become an auto driver.
“Six months ago, when I returned home from work, I saw an auto parked in front of my house. My wife surprised me by gifting the used vehicle. There is a loan against it; I have to pay Rs 8,000 EMI every month,” Sudhakar said.
