Man files robbery complaint to get back at auto drivers

Thiruvananthapuram: A Karnataka native, who claimed to be blind, caused a commotion at the Pettah police station on Saturday night. He filed a complaint with the police that two unidentified men, who came in an autorickshaw, stole his bag carrying Rs 42,000 near Kochuveli railway station.
Police took his complaint seriously. After providing the complainant, Mohanraj, 56, of Thunga Nagar-2 at Shimoga, a cup of tea and food, the police launched a probe. They examined several CCTV visuals from in and around the railway station and spoke to several persons from the station's vicinity.
After hours of search, the police finally realised that the complaint was a fake.
They began suspecting the authenticity of the complaint when the people who run roadside eateries near the railway station told police that they did not notice any such incident. It confused the police as the complainant must have raised his voice if there had been a robbery, and the food vendors would have noticed it.
According to the complaint given by Mohanraj, he hired an autorickshaw from Kochuveli station to reach Thampanoor. Other than the driver, there was another person in the vehicle and the man restrained him and snatched his bag carrying the money. The duo later escaped in the auto leaving him.
Despite checking several CCTV visuals, police could not find him trying to board any autorickshaw from the station premises. It was then the police started suspecting the authenticity of his complaint and questioned him. The man finally admitted that he was annoyed when the autorickshaw drivers from the station premises demanded Rs 200 as fare to reach Thampanoor. According to him, the drivers were not willing to give him a discount considering his blind status. To take revenge against them, he filed the fake complaint.
The police said that he walked from Kochuveli to Pettah to file the complaint.
They now plan to check his claim of blindness. "He told us that he reached here for an eye surgery, but it is not trustworthy as he was alone. After identifying him from images, some people informed us that he was a beggar, but it needs to be verified," said police.