A rickshaw driver who looted a Canadian tourist after offering him liquor has been arrested by the Nashik Police. The accused had stolen gold jewellery and a mobile phone from the foreign national and left him stranded on the road.
The incident took place on the night of May 29, around 10:30 pm. The Canadian passenger had taken a rickshaw from Thakkar Bazar to visit a nearby lodge. The rickshaw, bearing number MH 15-EH-7272, was driven by Jagdish Dadaji Kapdanis (42), a resident of Kakucha Bagh in Sangameshwar, Malegaon.
Taking advantage of the tourist’s drunken state, the driver stopped the rickshaw at the Upnagar Naka signal. He then forcibly snatched a gold chain, pendant, ring, and a mobile phone from the victim and pushed him out of the rickshaw. The stolen items were valued at approximately ₹1.2 lakh.
A case was immediately registered at the Upnagar Police Station. Given the involvement of a foreign national, Police Commissioner Sandeep Karnik directed an urgent and thorough investigation.
Crime Branch Unit No. 1 began reviewing CCTV footage from the area and gathered intelligence about the accused’s movements. On June 6, the team received a tip that Kapdanis was traveling from Shirdi to Nashik. Acting swiftly, police stopped his rickshaw at Pangri village on the Nashik-Shirdi highway and arrested him. The stolen valuables were also recovered from his possession.
The incident has raised concerns over the safety of tourists in the city, and the police have assured strict action against such offenders.