Mumbai Crime: Cab Driver Assaulted, Robbed of Rs 62,000 by Fake Passengers on Panvel Trip

A 48-year-old Uber driver from Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) was allegedly attacked and robbed of Rs 59,000 by three men who pretended to be passengers during a late-night trip to Panvel. Additionally, they looted Rs 3,000 cash. The incident has led to the arrest of one suspect, identified as Mohammad Maishad Jalil Khan, 26, a driver residing in Asalpha, Ghatkopar. Two other accused are still unidentified and on the run. According to police officials, the driver had reached Panvel Bus Station around 10.30 pm, after which the passengers asked him to return to Mumbai, stating they could not locate their intended destination.

The victim, Sunil Kumar Bachchanlal Agrahari, a resident of Sant Dnyaneshwar Nagar in BKC, works as an Uber and private hire driver. The sequence of events began on March 8, when he received a call from an unknown number requesting a pickup from outside Don Bosco School in Kurla for a ride to Panvel. However, the caller cancelled the trip at the last moment, citing his mother’s sudden illness. The following night, on March 9, the same individual contacted him again and asked him to arrive at the same spot around 9.30 pm for another trip to Panvel.

On March 9, three men boarded Agrahari’s vehicle and instructed him to drive towards Panvel. After reaching the Panvel bus stop around 10.30 pm, they asked him to head back towards Mumbai, claiming they were unable to find the address they were searching for. While returning, near Kharghar railway station, the men allegedly turned violent, assaulted the driver, and took control of the vehicle. They then forced him to transfer Rs 59,000 through multiple UPI transactions. Additionally, they robbed him of Rs 3,000 in cash before fleeing the scene near Ghatkopar.

To conceal their actions, the accused reportedly attempted to erase all digital evidence linked to the crime. They deleted the transaction history from the victim’s phone, removed and destroyed his SIM card, and cleared all banking alerts and messages related to the forced transfers. These actions were allegedly carried out to make it difficult for investigators to trace the financial trail and identify the culprits involved in the robbery and assault.

The case has been registered at Vinoba Bhave Nagar Police Station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 309(4) and 3(5), along with Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act. The victim, Sunil Kumar Bachchanlal Agrahari, suffered a financial loss of Rs 59,000 through UPI transfers and Rs 3,000 in cash. While one accused has been arrested, police are continuing their investigation to identify and apprehend the remaining two suspects involved in the crime.