Debt-ridden cab driver arrested for stealing tender coconuts

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: In a bizarre incident of theft, a debt-ridden cab driver was arrested for allegedly stealing tender coconuts from a vendor in the city.

The accused was identified as Mohan, a native of Tamil Nadu who was residing in Madiwala in Bengaluru. The police told News Trail that a complaint had been filed by a vendor, Rajanna, a resident of Girinagar, alleging that someone has been stealing coconuts from his roadside shop.

"Following the complaint, CCTV footage of the place was scanned. It was found that the accused had been pilfering the tender coconuts during the night," a police officer said.

The police further explained that the accused was himself a coconut vendor earlier. However, he got addicted to playing online Rummy and lost several lakhs.

A debt-ridden Mohan later started driving rental cabs, the police said. While driving around, Mohan had noticed that Rajanna would cover his tender coconuts with tarpaulin after closing his shop in the night.

In order to alleviate his financial vows, Mohan plotted to steal the coconuts from his shop. The accused would steal the tender coconuts and carry them in his cab.

He allegedly followed the same modus operandi for the last few weeks, police said. On November 6, Rajanna added around 1150 tender coconuts to his stock.

However the next day he found most of the coconuts missing following which he filed a complaint with the jurisdictional police. The Girinagar Police nabbed Mohan and recovered 90 tender coconuts that he had intended to sell to his clients.

The police also seized a car and a bike from his possession. The case has shed light on the unusual methods employed by desperate individuals entangled in a web of financial distress, resorting to unconventional means to offset their losses.