Jobless man takes SUV worth Rs 88 lakh for test drive, dashes it into 2 parked cars in Surat

SURAT: A 24-year-old unemployed man's test drive of an SUV worth Rs 88 lakh on Friday cost him dearly after an FIR was filed accusing him of causing damages of around Rs 10 lakh to the vehicle.
Earlier, the luxury car showroom on Thursday had refused Mota Varachha resident Ronak Chovatiya a test ride, he returned the next day with a cheque for Rs 2 lakh as the booking amount to impress the showroom staff. Son of a paan shop owner, Chovatiya has studied up to Class 10 and was earlier working as a diamond artisan. He is currently unemployed, said the police who arrested Chovatiya. He was later released on bail after completing formalities.
"Chovatiya went to the showroom of Jaguar Land Rover on Dumas road on Thursday and demanded to test drive a model that costs over Rs 1 crore. He, however, failed to convince the showroom staff then," a police officer told TOI.
But, Chovatiya returned to the showroom again on Friday and once more tried to convince the staff to allow him take a test ride of the Range Rover Evoque. When the staff refused yet again, the accused took out a cheque for Rs 2 lakh claiming it to be the booking amount for the vehicle. Believing him, the staff relented and allowed him take a test ride .
"Chavatiya, who owns a motorcycle at present, crashed the vehicle immediately upon starting. He lost control and dashed the vehicle into two other cars parked on the road outside the showroom," the police said.
Chovatiya told the police that he wanted to drive a luxury SUV, and hence planned the test drive.