Driver faked robbery, trapped in his own web of lies

When 24 year- old Suresh returned to his employer, claiming that he had been attacked and robbed of Rs 4.7 lakhs, police knew almost instantly that he was their culprit. For the past year, Suresh had worked as a driver for a businessman named S.L. Loganathan, who runs a wholesale banana yard Karinanjanapura Road in Chamarajanagar. On Tuesday, the driver returned looking harried, claiming to have been robbed between 4 pm and 4.15 pm. He claimed that he was driving back on the Bengaluru-Kanakapura Road, carrying his employer’s car when he was waylaid by a gang of four armed robbers who hurled stones at the jeep and took the cash he was carrying in the car.

The police, who had their eye on him from the start, gave no hint of their suspicion. The complaint was registered based on the driver’s statement. He was asked to remain in the police station and told to make himself at home. Leaving no stone unturned in this feigned sympathy, they even made sure he was wellfed. While he sat there, however, police teams were busy at work, surveying CCTV footage in the vicinity of the supposed crime scene. As they suspected, there was no evidence to corroborate the robbery claim.

“We knew the driver was lying but did not question him immediately. After doing the groundwork, we took him in for questioning. He confessed to having faked the robbery. The money has been recovered intact and his employer has been told to claim it in court as the complaint was already registered,” said an officer from the investigating team.

Suresh worked as a driver for a businessman named S.L. Loganathan, who runs a wholesale banana yard at The accused had been with his employer for the last year and was believed to be quite loyal. That changed when his father passed away recently - he was struggling to run the family as its sole breadwinner. He had also recently married the girl he had been in a relationship with for some time. His father’s demise and his g rowing family proved too much to handle. His wife reportedly forced him to try his luck and cheat his employer by faking a robbery and making off with the cash.