Man impersonates Ola cab driver, held after Bengaluru doctor calls police
The man also asked the woman, who had booked through the Ola app, for a higher fare after she left the Bengaluru airport.
3 min read
The Bengaluru police confirmed that Basavaraj’s cab was not registered with Ola and that he was an independent driver. (Representational Photo)The Bengaluru police arrested a man for allegedly impersonating an Ola driver and offering an unauthorised ride from the Kempegowda International Airport to a woman doctor from the city.
According to the police, the incident took place on November 7 when the accused Basavaraj, 27, allegedly posed as an Ola driver and picked up Nikita Malik, a 34-year-old doctor, from the Bengaluru airport. The police arrested Basavaraj under Section 319 (2) (cheating by impersonation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). He was later released on bail.
“Almost got trafficked/raped/looted/assaulted by a random cab driver who was let in by @BLRAirport in the Ola pickup station & impersonated to be one at terminal 1 of Bangalore airport at 10:30 pm had I not called 112, I’d not be here typing this,” Dr Malik posted on X.
According to a police officer, Dr Malik arrived at KIA from Delhi around 10 pm and waited at the Terminal 1 pickup area after booking a cab using the Ola mobile application. Basavaraj approached her, claiming to be her driver. When she pointed out that her booking was for a mini car while he was driving a sedan, Basavaraj convinced her to get in, said the police officer.
Dr Malik noticed that Basavaraj did not request the usual One-Time Password (OTP) verification. When she insisted, he told her his app was malfunctioning. The fare on her app showed Rs 1,300, but Basavaraj insisted on Rs 1,500, calling his car a “luxury” service. She refused to pay more, and asked him to return to the Bengaluru airport.
The situation escalated when Basavaraj ignored her request to return. Feeling uneasy, Dr Malik called a relative to explain her concerns. Basavaraj then stopped at a fuel station and demanded an additional Rs 500. After her relative advised her to contact the police helpline, she called 112, shared her live location, and notified Basavaraj of her action. Basavaraj drove her back to the airport after the Bengaluru police intervened.
Dr Malik later posted on X about the sequence of the event. “a lot of assumptions that the driver was ‘amazing’ enough to drive me back; I had been requesting that repeatedly to which he didn’t bother to respond even once& just kept driving 2ndly,even after I made the call he kept driving after refuelling the car& again, no response,” she said.
“only after he realised its serious&i really did inform the police& I’m panicking&crying, while being on call with the patrol police, did he tell the police on call in Kannada where he was heading to (back to terminal 1) he was scolded by the police on call I should’ve mentioned this,” she added.
The Bengaluru police later confirmed that Basavaraj’s cab was not registered with Ola and that he was an independent driver. Basavaraj admitted to lying to secure the fare but denied overcharging, they said.
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