The officer added, “Due to his poor eyesight, the victim handed over his phone along with the password to the auto driver to operate the Google Pay app. Shaikh took advantage of this and transferred R90,518 from the victim’s account to multiple other accounts”
The police claim they have recovered the entire amount from the accused. Pic/iStock
The Bandra police have arrested a 26-year-old autorickshaw driver, who allegedly duped a corporate lawyer of R90,518 after ferrying him from Andheri to Bandra in April. According to the police, the victim, who had recently relocated to Mumbai from Haryana, visited a restaurant in Andheri in April and accidentally left behind his spectacles. Due to his nearsightedness, the lawyer handed over his mobile phone to the auto driver to facilitate payment via Google Pay.
The accused has been identified as Furkan Shaikh, a resident of Govandi. During interrogation, Shaikh told the police that he committed the crime to repay the debt. A police officer said, “On the night of April 10, the victim visited a club in Andheri around 10.30 pm. While returning around 5.30 am the following day, he hired an autorickshaw. Shaikh kept changing routes during the journey, which made the lawyer suspicious, and he asked the driver to go by the correct route. Upon reaching Bandra, the driver demanded Rs 1500 for the ride. The victim initially refused, offering him R500 instead, but eventually he gave in.”
The officer added, “Due to his poor eyesight, the victim handed over his phone along with the password to the auto driver to operate the Google Pay app. Shaikh took advantage of this and transferred R90,518 from the victim’s account to multiple other accounts.”
When the victim checked his phone later that morning, he realised the money had been transferred. He immediately informed his bank but was unable to follow up as he had to return to Haryana for work. On May 22, after returning to Mumbai, he approached the Bandra police and filed an FIR.
Senior Inspector Sanjay Marathe of the Bandra police station said, “We traced the accused to Govandi and recovered the full amount from his bank account.” Another officer added, “The accused recently got married and admitted that he was in debt. To repay the loan, he committed the crime.”
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