A man from Andhra Pradesh who bought a scooter on OLX was stunned to find out that the two-wheeler belonged to a rental firm.
In May, Ashok Mane, 28, came across a Honda Activa 5G put up on sale on the online platform for Rs 56,000. He liked the scooter and contacted the seller.
The men met near the Yeshwantpur TTMC on May 24 and struck a deal for Rs 50,000. The seller, who gave his name as Gopal Naidu alias Lalit Kumar, showed him the vehicle's RC card, insurance papers, and other documents. He promised to transfer the documents in his name in two days at the Yeshwantpur RTO.
Kumar handed Mane the scooter along with the RC and insurance documents and signed vehicle transfer forms.
When Mane didn’t receive any message from the RTO, he tried calling Kumar but found that the number was switched off. However, he continued to use the scooter and took it to Hindupur, his hometown.
On July 6, Mane got the shock of his life when two men showed up and said the scooter belonged to vehicle rental firm Ontrack Technologies Pvt Ltd. They also told him that the scooter was rented by a man for delivering food through Swiggy. The company tracked down the scooter through the GPS installed in it.
Mane subsequently filed a complaint with Yeshwantpur police.
Police believe that Kumar sold the scooter by altering its number plate and creating a fake RC matching the engine details. Details in the documents given to Mane matched the vehicle's specifications.
Yeshwantpur police have registered a case and are investigating.
Published 09 July 2023, 19:00 IST