Mysore/Mysuru: Just two days after a terrified senior citizen fell victim to extortionists faking a grievous ac cident at Dattagalli on Sept. 18 — where he was coerced into paying Rs. 85,000 — another elderly man narrowly escaped a similar scam in Vijayanagar 3rd Stage on Sept. 20.

This second incident demonstrates that these criminals are expanding their network beyond specific areas of the city, targeting regions with high population density. Alarming as it is, these scams are happening in broad daylight, leaving residents shaken.

SOM had highlighted the Dattagalli incident in its Sept. 20 report titled ‘Beware: Menace of senior citizens in city terrorised by fake accidents returns.’

After reading the article, 82-year-old Kiriyamada Thammaiah of Roopanagar, Bogadi, reached out to SOM to narrate his own harrowing experience — one that could have ended very differently had he not remained calm and cautious.

The incident

Recounting the episode, Thammaiah said he was driving alone through Vijayanagar 3rd Stage around 11.30 am on Saturday, heading towards Kalidasa Road via the Ring Road. “I was passing near Canara Bank and heading towards Aishwarya Petrol Bunk when I suddenly heard a loud ‘thud’ from the rear left side of my car,” he said.

Having read about similar scams in SOM, Thammaiah suspected foul play and deliberately chose not to stop his vehicle. “Moments later, a man on a two-wheeler came up alongside my car, shouting ‘Gowdre!’ loudly, trying to get my attention. I kept my composure and shouted back ‘Yeno?’ (meaning ‘what’ in Kannada) while continuing to drive at a steady speed,” he recalled.

Thammaiah explained that only his driver’s side window was half-open while all others were closed. “I neither slowed down nor sped up. I knew this was a trap, so I maintained the same speed and stayed calm,” he said.

As he drove further, he noticed a Police vehicle ahead, amidst four to five other vehicles. “It wasn’t close enough for me to call out for help, but I believe the sight of the Police vehicle and the proximity of Jayalakshmipuram Police Station might have discouraged the criminal from pursuing me further,” he added.

Modus operandi

According to Thammaiah, the criminal aimed to force him to stop, check his vehicle and then create a fake accident scenario to demand money. “He didn’t overtake me because his plan depended on my stepping out of my car. When I didn’t stop, he eventually gave up,” he said.

Later Thammaiah inspected his car and confirmed there was no damage.

Concerned that the suspect might still be lurking in the area, Thammaiah avoided returning home via Bunts Samaja Road. Instead, he took a detour through the Ring Road. “Fortunately, I reached home safely. I had credit and debit cards, and if I had been trapped or stopped my car, I could have lost a lot of money,” he said.

No Police complaint has been lodged since he was not robbed.