KOLKATA: The Kolkata police arrested three individuals on charges of posing as passengers, boarding a cab, and robbing the driver of all his belongings.
The police identified the arrested men as Rahul Sardar, Mohammad Tabrez, and Tausif Ali. Officers from Karaya Police Station apprehended the trio after reviewing CCTV footage.
The incident took place late on Tuesday night. The three passengers had booked a cab online to travel from Barasat to Kolkata.
Shortly after boarding, one of the passengers allegedly pulled a pistol from his pocket and held it against the driver’s head. Another snatched a gold chain and a ring from him.
Despite the driver’s desperate attempts to resist, the assailants persisted, forcibly trying to extort money from him while the vehicle was in motion. The gang even coerced the driver to call his family and demanded that money be sent.
Reports indicate that the extortion attempt took place while the car was travelling along the city’s Tiljala Road. However, in the midst of the ordeal, around dawn on Wednesday, the car broke down. Seizing the moment, the driver opened the window and began shouting for help. Realising the situation had turned against them, the three men abandoned the vehicle and fled.
The driver subsequently lodged a formal complaint at Karaya Police Station. Following an investigation involving CCTV footage, the police arrested the three men on Thursday from Narayanpur in the northern suburbs.
According to police, efforts are underway to recover the stolen cash and jewellery through interrogation.
The incident comes weeks after three drug traffickers were arrested and a massive quantity of cocaine were recovered in Kolkata following a raid in the Karaya locality. According to the police, large quantities of drugs are being smuggled into the city for rave parties, with cocaine being in high demand.
Police stated that they received a tip-off regarding a hideout established by foreign drug smugglers on Ahiripukur Road in Karaya.
