Bengaluru Woman Alleges Cab Driver Extorted Her Brother, Cops Denied Help

A Bengaluru-based woman has claimed that the city police did not help her teen brother after a cab driver allegedly threatened and extorted Rs 3,000 from him in the middle of the night.

Mrinali Priyadarshni shared the ordeal on Linkedin, saying, "I'm literally shaking with rage, fear, and anger as I type this."

"Bengaluru City Police abandoned an 18-year-old kid in the middle of the night with a man who had just threatened him," she wrote.

According to Ms Priyadarshni, her 18-year-old brother landed at Bangalore International Airport around midnight and struggled to find a cab through ride-hailing services like Ola, Uber, and Rapido. With no alternative, he opted for an airport taxi to Yelahanka, agreeing on a fare of approximately Rs 800 as displayed on the Rapido app.

Once inside the cab, the driver reportedly began probing him about whether he was a local. Instead of taking the shorter 19 km route, the driver deliberately chose a longer 24 km route, she claimed.

"Suddenly, in the middle of nowhere, he stopped the cab, stepped out, and started threatening my brother," Ms Priyadarshni wrote. "He demanded almost Rs 3,000 and said that if my brother didn't pay, he would beat him up and take him to his friends, who would do God knows what to him."

Her brother, a college student, was left terrified and pleaded with the driver, asking why he had to pay the extra amount. "Because I want it. Aur agar tu paise nahi dega to mai tere ko apne friend ke ghar leke jaunga aur tu fir dekh wahan tere saath kya hota hai (If you don't give me the money, I'll take you to my friend's house, and then you'll see what happens to you)," the driver allegedly told him.

The teen managed to spot two patrol police officers on scooters and approached them for help. But the police reportedly refused to take immediate action.

"They simply said the driver can't charge Rs 3,000 and that my brother would have to go to the police station with the driver to resolve the issue. With the driver - the same man who had just threatened him," Ms Priyadarshni wrote.

When the teenager said he did not feel safe with the driver and asked to go with the police instead, the officers allegedly left.

With no other option, Ms Priyadarshni's brother eventually paid the demanded Rs 3,000 before being dropped at his location. "He's safe now, shaken and disturbed, but safe," she said.

"Where is the justice? Where is the support system? What kind of police force ignores a scared, stranded teenager and leaves him at the mercy of a criminal?" she demanded.

The Bengaluru City Police reached out to her, asking her to share the issue with them on WhatsApp.