Sir,

Apropos the write-up titled ‘Criminals extort money from elderly car drivers by faking accidents’ in SOM dated June 21, I would like to add more to that write-up as I was one of the victims like Prof. K.P. Mahadevappa on the same road.

I am aged 58-plus, however, my hairs are turned grey. I was proceeding to Sri Ramakrishna Ashram to attend a discourse on June 4, 2023 around 5.20 pm from my residence driving my four-wheeler alone. Since it was a Sunday, the road was not busy and I was driving slowly. I heard the sound, may be after the University Guest House or Open Air Theatre. I turned around but didn’t see anything.

I went ahead, may be after the Cricket Stadium gate, two boys riding the scooter overtook me to stop the vehicle. Same question they put me as they shouted at Prof. Mahadevappa.

I said no I didn’t hit any vehicle. They were not wearing helmets and were aged around 18 and 21. They demanded water which I gave them by opening left door window glass. I observed nothing had happened to the pillion rider, not even a scratch.

They urged me to take him to the Hospital and immediately opened the left door of the back side. I shouted at him to get down and told him to come to Police Station and I was sure that a Traffic Police would definitely be in the Paduvarahalli Junction and did not allow him to sit in my car.

By that time the rider started calling his associates to that spot by phone. I went ahead and parked my car near Paduvarahalli Circle and waited there for some time. They did not come. Of course, a Traffic Policeman was there. He was busy.

Since these criminals did not come I went ahead via St. Joseph’s Circle without informing either to the Traffic Police or nearby Police Station.

As I was really shocked, I immediately called one of my friends, who was an ex-Policeman and right now a Government PU College Lecturer. He advised me to ignore it, saying they were all token criminals operating in Mysuru city. It seems even he too once had this type of experience while on  his two-wheeler.

I urge the Police authorities through this column to curb this type of incidents by taking suitable actions against such criminal elements.

– H.N. Rangaraju, T.K. Layout, 22.6.2023

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