CHENNAI: The city police have arrested a 27-year-old man who stole a call taxi by deceiving the driver and made to get out of the vehicle to buy a water bottle after faking a health scare and escaped with the vehicle.
The arrested person was identified as Mohammed Ajmal (27) of Salem district. On Friday night, cab driver Suresh Kumar (43) had dropped a customer at Koyambedu when the accused got allotted Suresh's cab through a ride-hailing app.
The accused told the cab driver that he had to travel to Poonamallee, and while they were travelling towards Poonamallee, Ajmal faked a health issue and asked the driver to halt the vehicle. He then requested the driver to buy a bottle of water for him. When Suresh obliged, Ajmal fled with the vehicle.
Suresh filed a complaint with the Koyambedu police, who perused several CCTV cameras' footage and traced Ajmal and seized the stolen car from him.
The investigation revealed that Mohamad Ajmal already had a previous case registered against him under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act at the Manavalan Nagar police station in Tiruvallur district. He was produced before the court and remanded in judicial custody.