Truck driver ends life after being duped in Aurangabad

AURANGABAD: A 30-year-old truck owner committed suicide at his residence on late Sunday after he found that the truck he purchased had forged documents.
The deceased has been identified as Gangadhar Harkal, who hails from Pimpla Dhaiguda in Ambejogai of Beed district. A few years ago, he moved to Waluj area of Aurangabad city for work.
Citing a complaint lodged by his relative, MIDC Waluj police said after working as a truck driver for a few years, the man recently purchased the same truck from his employer at Rs 4.50 lakh.
Apart from giving out all of his savings to pay a portion of the said amount, Harkal agreed to pay the existing vehicle loan. Police said the deal was said to have been finalised five to six months ago. Harakal even paid five instalments of Rs 17, 000 each to the bank. During this period, Harkal kept requesting his former employer to transfer the truck, but he kept dilly-dallying.
On Friday, Harkal took the loaded truck to deliver goods in Beed, where during a surprise checking by regional transport office authorities, the truck was stopped. The RTO officials found that the registration, chassis numbers and documents do not match and immediately confiscated the truck. The development came as shock to Harkal. He asked his former employer to either return his entire money or get the RTO issue resolved.
Realising that he has been cheated, the driver hung himself at his residence.