Ahmedabad: In a shocking incident, a 37-year-old cab driver was allegedly abducted, assaulted, and robbed by four unidentified men after accepting a ride booking through the Rapido app in Ahmedabad during the early hours of Monday. The accused allegedly threatened him at knifepoint and fled with cash, valuables, and his vehicle, with the total value of the stolen items estimated at around Rs 5.3 lakh.

The victim, Rajnikant Raval, a resident of the Ramol area, filed a complaint at Anandnagar police station, following which police registered a case and launched an investigation. Officials are currently scanning CCTV footage and collecting technical evidence to identify and trace the accused.

According to the complaint, Rajnikant had completed a trip in the Prahladnagar area and was waiting for another booking around 2 am when he accepted a ride request through the Rapido app. The pickup location displayed on the app was near Krishnadham AUDA Flats in Makarba.

Police said four men, estimated to be between 25 and 40 years old, boarded Rajnikant’s white sedan near Makarba Crossroads. One passenger sat in the front seat, while the remaining three occupied the rear seats. The destination shown on the app was Ambapur near Adalaj.

As per the complaint, when the vehicle reached a dark stretch of road ahead of Zundal Circle, one of the passengers asked Rajnikant to stop the vehicle on the pretext of using the toilet. Moments later, another accused allegedly pulled out a knife and held it to the driver’s throat while the others assaulted and verbally abused him.

The accused then allegedly forced Rajnikant into the rear seat and took control of the vehicle.

During the ordeal, the men allegedly snatched Rajnikant’s mobile phone and gained access to his online banking application, through which they transferred money from his account. The robbers also allegedly looted Rs 20,000 in cash and a silver chain from the victim.

Police said the accused further threatened to kill Rajnikant and forced him to call one of his friends and ask for an immediate online transfer of Rs 1 lakh. However, the friend reportedly dismissed the late-night call as a prank and did not transfer the money.

The victim was later abandoned near a canal close to Suez Farm, after which the accused fled with the vehicle.

Police have launched further investigations to identify and apprehend the four accused. DeshGujarat