Bhubaneswar: In a shocking incident, a cab driver allegedly abandoned a passenger returning from abroad on a roadside and fled with valuables worth nearly ₹20 lakh. The accused driver, identified as Naga Parmanik, has been arrested by Chandrasekharpur police on Thursday.
The incident occurred late last night when Aman Kumar Agrawal, who had recently returned from Thailand, hired a cab to reach his destination in Bhubaneswar.
According to the complaint, when the cab reached near the Chandrasekharpur petrol pump, the driver asked Agrawal to step out of the vehicle, claiming that he needed to refill CNG.
However, once the passenger got down, the driver sped away with Agrawal’s belongings, which included diamonds, gold jewellery, and foreign currency. The total value of the stolen items is estimated at ₹20 lakh.
Following the complaint, Chandrasekharpur police launched an investigation and successfully tracked down and arrested the accused. The stolen valuables were recovered during the arrest.
Police officials revealed that Naga Parmanik has four previous criminal cases registered against him, raising serious concerns about background verification processes followed by cab aggregators.
ACP Sonali Parmar stated that a detailed investigation will be conducted to determine how the cab service provider allowed a driver with a criminal record to operate on its platform. The matter has sparked concerns over passenger safety and the need for stricter verification norms for app-based cab drivers.
Further investigation is underway.
