Rs 18,000 for 400-metre drive: Mumbai cabbie takes tourist 'for a ride'

The driver allegedly took the tourist on a longer route before dropping her at the hotel.  

A 50-year-old taxi driver has been arrested for allegedly charging a United States tourist a whopping Rs 18,000 in what may have been the most expensive 400-metre ride through the Mumbai traffic, police said on Friday.

The police on Tuesday apprehended Deshraj Yadav, who allegedly picked up the tourist from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and dropped her off at a five-star hotel near the facility, an official said.

Rs 18,000 for Mumbai airport to Hilton

The incident came to light after the tourist took to social media to share her experience about her expensive ride in the city. 

"Landed in Mumbai recently and took a taxi to @HiltonHotels. The driver and another guy took us to an unknown location first, charged us $200 (Rs 18,000), and then dropped us at the hotel, which was only 400m away. Taxi No: MH 01 BD 5405," Argentina Ariano (@ArgentinaAriano) wrote in a post on X. 

The police swung into action, registering a suo motu FIR earlier this week and nabbed Yadav within three hours. The foreign national, however, could not be contacted, the official said.

20-minute drive around Andheri 

A probe revealed that the accused took the woman for a 20-minute drive around Andheri East before returning to the same area and dropping her off at the hotel, where he collected the inflated fare, he said, adding that a search is underway for Yadav's accomplice. 

A case has been registered against Yadav under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the process has been initiated to cancel his driving licence, the official said.