Image used for representational purpose only.
BENGALURU: A habitual offender on board the Mangaluru-SMVT Bengaluru Express, who stole a mobile phone, made a bizarre ransom call to the mobile owner, demanding Rs 1,000 through PhonePe, and got caught red-handed. GRP retrieved the phone (in pic) and four other mobiles, besides two stolen vehicles from him.
The theft occurred on the train on March 3, and the GRP arrested N Manoj (22) in Halasuru the next day. The accused was booked under IPC Section 379 (theft). R Shashank, a first-year BBA student at Moodbidri, told TNIE, “I was going towards Bengaluru on Friday morning. I had kept my phone close to me while sleeping and even checked it at 3.30 am when the train reached Mysuru. However, when we reached Channapatna around 5 am, my phone was missing. It cost me around Rs 6,000. I contacted the GRP.”
A senior GRP cop said Shashank called his number repeatedly to reach the person who had taken it. Manoj picked up the call once and agreed to return the phone if Shashank transferred Rs 1,000 on PhonePe. The student alerted the cops about it.
“Police tracked the PhonePe number to the owner of a mobile shop in Halasuru. They asked him to keep the individual engaged when he came over to collect the money and alert them. The shopkeeper did as advised and Manoj was caught by cops who rushed to the spot,” he said.
