Mumbai: A 32-year-old taxi driver was arrested for allegedly kidnapping a maintenance supervisor and extorting Rs.1,119 as compensation for minor vehicle damage in a case of road rage. The Vakola police apprehended Aquib Shaikh in Kurla late Thursday after tracking the registration number of the borrowed cab he was driving.
According to the FIR, the incident occurred on March 28 around 1 PM when Venkatesh Kounder, 26, residing in Andheri West, a supervisor with Indu Earthmovers, was transporting a poclain machine in a company truck from Kurla to DN Nagar in Andheri West. Shaikh, driving a cab attempting to overtake from the wrong side, caused a minor collision near Air India Colony in Santa Cruz East.
Despite being at fault, Shaikh allegedly escalated the situation by forcing Kounder into his cab under the pretext of visiting the police station. Instead, he drove the victim to Chembur, where he called Kounder's employer using the victim's phone, demanding compensation for a damaged side mirror.
He threatened to call his friends and warned me of dire consequences if he did not pay. Fearing for his safety, the supervisor transferred Rs.1,119 via GPay before being released near Sion Circle.
The accused exploited the situation despite being responsible for the collision. The police traced the vehicle and made the arrest within hours of receiving the complaint.
Shaikh has been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including wrongful restraint, kidnapping, rash driving, and extortion. Police are investigating whether others were involved in the intimidation.
