Scam on wheels: Mumbai cabbie charges tourist Rs 18,000 for 400-metre ride, held
Mumbai (PTI): A 50-year-old taxi driver has been arrested for allegedly charging a US tourist a whopping Rs 18,000 in what may have been the most expensive 400-metre ride through the Mumbai traffic, police said on Friday.
The police on Tuesday apprehended Deshraj Yadav, who allegedly picked up the tourist from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and dropped her off at a five-star hotel near the facility, an official said.
The incident came to light after the tourist took to social media to share her experience about her expensive ride in the city.
"Landed in Mumbai recently and took a taxi to @HiltonHotels. The driver and another guy took us to an unknown location first, charged us $200 (Rs 18,000), and then dropped us at the hotel, which was only 400m away. Taxi No: MH 01 BD 5405," Argentina Ariano (@ArgentinaAriano) wrote in a post on X.
The police swung into action, registering a suo motu FIR earlier this week and nabbed Yadav within three hours. The foreign national, however, could not be contacted, the official said.
A probe revealed that the accused took the woman for a 20-minute drive around Andheri East before returning to the same area and dropping her off at the hotel, where he collected the inflated fare, he said, adding that a search is underway for Yadav's accomplice.
A case has been registered against Yadav under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the process has been initiated to cancel his driving licence, the official said.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
