Back from Oz, doc robbed by cabbie, aides

Satinder Pal Singh

Dera Bassi, November 20

A case of a doctor being robbed of cash, gold rings and other valuables by a taxi driver and his accomplices near the Karnal bypass on November 17 has come to light.

The victim, Dr Ashok Kumar, a resident of Rauni Mohalla, Dera Bassi, lodged a complaint on November 18 with the Delhi Police following which an FIR was registered against the unidentified taxi driver and his accomplices.

According to the police, Ashok Kumar, in his complaint, alleged that he landed back at the Delhi airport from Australia on November 17 along with his acquaintance and was to proceed to Dera Bassi. He said he reached the Karnal bypass along with his acquaintance and got off there in order to board a bus for Dera Bassi.

He told the police that while he was waiting for a bus, around 9.45 pm, a taxi, bearing a Delhi registration number, stopped next to him and the driver enquired about his destination. The taxi driver claimed that he was also going towards Dera Bassi and would charge him an amount equivalent to the bus fare. The complainant agreed and sat next to the driver’s seat. In the meantime, three more passengers boarded the cab and sat on the rear seat of the car.

The victim said the cab had moved a few metres when he was overpowered by one of the suspects, who was sitting on the rear seat. The taxi driver kept driving towards Dera Bassi. On the way, the other two suspects allegedly took away three gold rings of the victim, a gold chain that he was wearing and also robbed him of Rs 80,000, including $100. The complainant alleged that they also took away a few items like an iron, clothes and toys from his luggage.

The victim told the police that instead of taking him towards Dera Bassi, the taxi driver took him towards the Bahalgarh flyover, where the three suspects took out SIM cards from his mobile phone and dumped him near the flyover before escaping along with the taxi driver.

The victim somehow managed to reach the nearest Samaypur Badli police station and lodged a complaint.

Jagbir Singh, sub-inspector posted at the Samaypur Badli police station, which falls under the jurisdiction of Delhi, said on the basis of the statement of Ashok Kumar, the police had registered a case against four unidentified persons, including the cab driver, under Sections 392 and 34 of the IPC at the Samaypur Badli police station.

The SI said during preliminary investigations, it had come to the fore that the taxi driver had fixed a fake number plate on the car. They were also investigating whether the car used in the crime was stolen.