Debt-ridden Benglauru man makes away with test-drive car, wanted to maintain ‘social status’

Acting on Elluri’s complaint, registered against an unknown person because Venkatesh had hidden his identity, the Amruthahalli police tried to track him through the mobile phone he had used to access the free classifieds ads website. But the police learnt that he had stolen the phone the same day from Bengaluru. They then approached OLX asking for around 2,500 internet protocol addresses used for searching for cars in the city.

A police officer said, “When we verified IP addresses from the three months, we were able to track Venkatesh’s IP address and the vehicle was traced to Dasarahalli.”

Venkatesh, a native of Bagepalli in Chikkaballapura district and resident of Bengaluru’s Amruth Nagar area, told the police that he had owned a Vitara Brezza but had to sell it to clear some debts.

According to the police officer, Venkatesh felt it would have been humiliating to visit his village without a car as he was used to going there by car. He had changed the number plate of the car, the officer added. Arrested on May 15, Venkatesh was remanded in judicial custody.