[COUGAR]

Originally Posted by rkbharat

what is this, does he lives in isolation, no neighbor, passer by, police, nothing? he should have agreed to the amount but pretend to get it from neighbor and called police.

this whole fraud exploits the Indian mob mentality where a mob gathers in time around a tamasha. Irrespective of the rights and the wrongs of it, the omb wants a piece of the action.

That is what this scam exploits.

[Lukeskywalker]

Recently I read about a similar scam which was tried out on the Chennai-Bangalore GQ road, the driver of the car, a known person, formerly a member here was quite strict and did not fall for it, but situations can be different and like mentioned in previous posts, you can't do much when faced with a mob.
Increased patrolling by cops will help, but then if wishes were horses...

[aargee]

Originally Posted by MX6

I'm going to get the HVK car recorder fitted in my vehicle soon. Even if the buggers go to the extent of putting up false FIRs, there will be proof at hand.

One moment I thought, WOW what an idea!!! but then dismissed the thought immediately. Know why? The court takes its own sweet time to bring, if at all any, justice. By then there're so many things bound to happen; Sorry to sound negative, but can't help thinking that getting beaten & recording it in our own camera!!!

Originally Posted by Lukeskywalker

Recently I read about a similar scam which was tried out on the Chennai-Bangalore GQ road

Are you referring to the incident on?

[Lukeskywalker]

@ Aargee,
No, that was not the incident. nobody got beaten up here, the driver's wits saved him.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by anilisanil

But how can one deal smartly in such situations?

Your friend was lucky to have been apprehended below his house. Call other family members, neighbours & friends down.

[alpha1]

^ I find it hard to believe that one would come to your place to dupe you in this scenario.

Getting caught in unfamiliar territory is fine ... but the hoodlums really had guts to barge in at the victim's location! and get away with it

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by anilisanil

Hello all,

Got this as a forward from my friend. It did happen and is posted on the bulletin board of his company! A very scary incident, but my question is what can one do in such situations?

But how can one deal smartly in such situations?

This has happened to me as well, at JM road. A bunch were following me in a rickshaw asking me to stop, I ignored them. At the signal they gheraoed the car and made me stop, telling me I have at the earlier signal run over a guy's foot (his foot looked fine to me). They demanded I take him to the hospital, but in the mean time my friend who was following me also pulled over and wisened up to these tricks (having seen this in the past) and simply threatened to go straight to the police station, and they immedeately said 'let it be, we will go to the hospital ourselves'.

What I realised was that at that time my mind was not clear as I was simply trying to think whether I have genuinely hit someone without knowing or not - and many people would do the same thing. Just stand your ground and be confident and tough I guess.

[alpha1]

In India there is only one law of jungle which hold good:
Whether you commit mistake or not - its always the other person's fault.

Keeping that in mind - you should always be alert while on road.

[gomzi]

damn, good thiing I read about this racket, and nice work to make people aware of it

The lengths people go to swindle others is simply astounding

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

What I realised was that at that time my mind was not clear as I was simply trying to think whether I have genuinely hit someone without knowing or not - and many people would do the same thing. Just stand your ground and be confident and tough I guess.

This exactly what most decent people would think "did I really run over someone?" and that would be enough to distract our thoughts from any fraud being committed.

But, in a mob, it'll be difficult and maybe unwise to act tough. Who knows, knowing our mob mentality, people completely unrelated to the fraudsters will also get involved and gang up on you. You were very lucky that your friend had the presence of mind to see through the racket and offer to go to the police station.
I guess thats the best one can do in the situation, offer to go to the police station first and only after that to a hospital, that will instantly make for "doodh ka doodh, paani ka paani"

[Chetanya Sharma]

That is one difficult situation. One never knows if the police is also involved with these frauds or not? I personally wouldn't stop for anyone whom I dont know and if they follow me, head directly for the nearest police station!

I remember some people trying to stop me when I was on my way to Mumbai from New Delhi. These people seemed to block the road with cones and looked like they were protesting or something and I was lucky enough that a trucker in front of me knocked down the cone and I could just blast past it.

This happened like twice or something on NH - 76. My driver said they were collection chanda but who knows they might have just pounced on about something I never did.

[Dieselite]

as pointed out in this thread earlier one should use the Police as a threat first and if still the apparent miscreants do not back down really go to the Police. Apparently your friend is not a local in Pune. Is his vehicle registration MH -12 (pune) ? These guys try to target people whose number plates indicate outside Pune vehicles or Outside state vehicles.

In such cases it may help to be able to speak the local language if one is staying in that region for a long enough duration.

I hope such incidents do not occur in the future !

[quickdraw]

This is so funny, going through the thread made me pick up the phone and message a friend of mine.

He got assaulted in the exact same fashion in Bombay, on tulsi pipe road or something I guess. He mentioned the incident to me and was quite scared. A couple of people on bikes surrounded him at a signal and said the exact same thing "You ran over my friend's foot back there" and demanded him to get out. Poor soul ran off and was pursued for quite a distance and was quite worried that these people are going to put a FIR against him or something. I am happy that he can be at peace today, more-so this demonstrates how wide-spread this has become and these folk are quite active in Bombay as well. Let me see if I ever encounter them, these unsavory elements need a taste of their own medicine.

[ObsessedByFIAT]

This is so ridiculous. I sometimes feel, people here in India have just lost it. Why can't these people just do some work and earn money, instead of troubling others.

I had an incident a couple of months back. Was suffering from Malaria and had to come back to Pune from Mumbai. Got down at Wakad and took a rickshaw. Did not know that the rickshaw driver was drunk. He drove till Dange chowk and demanded Rs.80

Since I was in no mood and strength to put up an argument did not say anything. Even the traffic police standing out there could notice that the guy was drunk and they never took an action against him.

Sometimes it makes me think hard, where is our country going? In which direction?

[Thad E Ginathom]

This is so ridiculous. I sometimes feel, people here in India have just lost it. Why can't these people just do some work and earn money, instead of troubling others.

It is easy to think so. I get particularly depressed when I read of the criminals that prey on the young and the elderly, especially when I read of stuff like children approached in schools by people who pocket their fee money and walk out the door with it, not to mention the school staff that do the same. Well, this is a particularly Indian crime opportunity, maybe, but do not think that it is India. It is India catching up with the world.

Yesterday I was reading of a gang being hunted by police in the UK. They are mugging people on trains in South London and nearby areas. They are not only taking mobiles, cash etc, but are doing so with violence, and many of their victims are young teenagers.

Which direction is India going in? The same as the rest of the world, I'm afraid.

[shipnil]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

This has happened to me as well, at JM road.

I have read the Bangalore mugging thread also and another thread of Pune itself. So far the experiences were happening on the isolated stretches of some roads. But now JM road? Man, these people have guts to this on a crowded road.