Bidhannagar Police arrests taxi driver and tout for scamming American vlogger in Kolkata
Times of India | 30 May 2025
123 Kolkata: Bidhannagar police arrested the taxi driver and the tout who scammed and threatened a popular American vlogger during his trip to a Park Street hotel from Kolkata airport last week. TOI wrote about the ordeal and shared the description and video posted by the vlogger, Dustin, with Bidhannagar police, following which driver Alamgir Molla and the tout Manoj Kumar Roy were arrested. They were booked under BNS sections dealing with extortion and criminal conspiracy."We lodged a suo motu complaint on Wednesday afternoon. We saw the video and were on the lookout for the offenders featured in it. While searching for the duo, we saw them back at the airport again trying to scam another passenger. We noticed their activities from a distance and then arrested them," said a senior officer of Bidhannagar city police.Following the arrest, Bidhannagar police also prepared a short video featuring clips from Dustin's vlog wherein the tout, Manoj Kumar, was heard threatening him in Bengali to break his bones and throw him out of the car while demanding more money during the ride. The video ends with images of the two holding identification booking slates against their chest after being arrested by the cops.The video ends with a message from Bidhannagar police and a helpline number to call during such emergencies: "We Bidhannagar Police stand for the safety of passengers! Taxi touting is a punishable offence. Don't stay silent! If you encounter such a situation, report it immediately. Contact us at 9147889465."Cops said Manoj Kumar (57) was a resident of Brahmapur off Garia in South 24 Parganas and Molla (33) was a resident of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas. "We have been circulating the video and posts across social media and other places to let everyone know about their behaviour, and we appeal to everyone to remember their faces and not to get in their taxis again. Meanwhile, we will take necessary action against the duo and taxi drivers like them who harass guests and tarnish the name of the city," said the officer.Dustin, a YouTuber who was in Kolkata to explore the city, shared the ordeal on his YouTube channel, Meet Dustin, in a nine-minute video titled "Taxi Driver in Kolkata Tried to Cheat and Threaten Me." Dustin narrated in his video how the taxi driver took him to a different hotel in New Town after possibly misunderstanding the hotel's name and later shifted him to another taxi with which he reached the Park Street hotel. He spent Rs 800 for the rides instead of the usual Rs 550 and took more than 100 minutes instead of the usual one hour.On camera, the red-shirt man, Manoj Kumar, was caught giving threats and saying, "I will take him to a lonely place and I will break his bone. I have mafia connection, I will break your bone." Upon hearing Dustin's explanation and refusal to pay extra, the red-shirted individual demanded Rs 1000 and spoke to the driver in Bengali, saying, "I have connections with the mafia, I'll drag him to a lonely place and break his bones."Dustin, however, assured that the incident wouldn't affect his view of India. "I've had a great time in India so far. This won't make me hate the country, it's just something you deal with in taxis and airports in many places," he expressed. MSID:: 121492038 413 |