Man escapes with bike, auto driver becomes scapegoat

Police said Abdul Afridi of Seven Wells had posted an online advertisement to sell his bike worth Rs 4 lakh. A man called him on Thursday but wanted to ride it before buying, and asked Afridi to come near Stanley Hospital. 

The ‘buyer’ reached there on an auto, and the driver Sekar spoke on his behalf, asking all details of the vehicle before the man went for a test ride with Afridi riding pillion.

As they reached Mint flyover, he asked Afridi to get down for a minute. Before Afridi could realise what was happening, he sped away with the vehicle. When Afridi returned and caught hold of Sekar, he said the thief was just his customer and that he had not met him before. 

When Seven Wells police questioned him, Sekar said the man, who boarded his auto in Mylapore, offered Rs 2,000 as commission if he negotiated with the seller. 

As the thief’s face was not identifiable from the CCTV footage from the locality, police are checking visuals from Mylapore where he boarded the auto.