Auto driver transferred Rs 3 lakh from woman’s bank account, arrested

Chennai: Taking advantage of the digital ignorance of his regular passenger, an elderly woman, a city-based autorickshaw driver transferred Rs 3 lakh from the bank account of a 53-year-old woman to his own account in the last one month.

Police said with the money he bought himself a new autorickshaw, a motorcycle, a smartphone and two gold chains. Vyasarpadi police arrested the accused R Rajesh (33) on Saturday.

The victim, G Inbaselvi (53) of Samiyar Thottam, Vyasarpadi, regularly took the services of Rajesh for her travels. Last month, while she was traveling in her auto, Inbaselvi had shared with her auto driver that her ATM card was not working.

Rajesh had told the woman that she could apply for a new ATM card through her mobile phone and he obtained Inbaselvi’s phone and downloaded the banking application on it.

A few days ago, when Inbaselvi checked his bank account, he found out that Rs 3 lakh had been withdrawn from his account and the balance was only Rs 2000.

He then lodged a complaint with Vyasarpadi police, which revealed that Rajesh was the possible suspect.

From the records, police learned that a total of Rs 3 lakh was transferred from the victim’s bank account to Rajesh’s bank account in four installments. “Rajesh, being an auto driver for Inbaselvi, used his regular trips to get the woman’s phone and transferred the money in four installments from November 18 to November 28,” a police officer said.

Police took steps to freeze the bank account of the auto driver. He was produced before the magistrate and sent to judicial custody.