College student conned by cab drivers at Bengaluru airport, pays ₹4,220 for ride till JP Nagar: Report
In a shocking incident, a college student returning from Japan was conned by two cab drivers outside Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in the early hours of June 20. The victim, identified as Sandeep Penakalapati, had exited Terminal 2 when a man approached him offering a ride to his J P Nagar residence for ₹ 1,000 — lower than standard app-based fares, The Times of India reported. Fraud at Bengaluru airport: Two cab drivers charge ₹ 4,220 for a ride from the Kempegowda International Airport till JP Nagar.(Unsplash/@Paul Hanaoka)
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Trusting the offer, Sandeep got into the car, which was driven by a second man. A few minutes into the ride, the driver passed Sandeep a phone, claiming there was a trip confirmation call. On the line was the first man, who abruptly revised the fare: a base charge of ₹ 899, ₹ 50 per km, and a 1.9 per cent night-time surcharge - totalling over ₹ 4,000.
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When Sandeep protested and asked to get out, the driver refused to stop, locked the doors, and continued driving at speed. He finally halted near Esteem Mall and demanded ₹ 4,220. With no choice, Sandeep paid up, after which the driver dumped his luggage on the roadside and sped off, the report stated.
Sandeep's father, Pradeep Penakalapati, a builder from Andhra Pradesh, filed a police complaint in this regard, after which the incident came to light. KIA police have now arrested the suspects, namely — Santosh (46) and Kabiruddin (33) — who are now in judicial custody, the report said.
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Police say this is not the first such incident near the airport and confirmed Santosh's name had come up in previous complaints, though this is the first time a formal case has been filed against him.
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