Bengaluru students’ road trip turns nightmare, extorted

A one-day trip to Madikeri, Karnataka, turned into a nightmare for five students after a self-drive car rental agency accused them of speeding, assaulted them, and extorted money.
The Chandra Layout police have arrested three suspects in connection with the incident, Times of India reported.
According to the report, Akash (name changed), a fifth-semester BBA student from Mathikere, and four friends rented a car for the trip on November 16. Akash booked a KIA Sonet through Vinod, who worked for a rental agency, paying ₹500 as commission via a digital payment app.
Nithin, another staff member, handed over the car and took Akash’s laptop as a security deposit, cautioning that exceeding 100 km/hr would incur fines of ₹1,200 per violation.
After completing their trip, the group returned the car on November 17 evening. Akash and his friend Prem accompanied Vinod to an office in Maruthinagar to inspect the vehicle. There, Vinod, Shashank, and others accused the students of crossing the speed limit 120 times, demanding ₹1.2 lakh in fines. Akash requested proof but was shown only three screenshots of violations, the report added.
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The accused allegedly locked Akash and Prem in the office, threatening them with a knife and assaulting Akash. Under duress, Akash borrowed ₹35,000 from friends, which he was forced to transfer via a QR code. Prem was also coerced into transferring ₹15,000.
The gang summoned the remaining students and issued death threats. They held Akash until late night, later escorting him home while warning him against approaching the police. The gang demanded another ₹25,000, but the transaction failed.
Terrified, Akash confided in his uncle and filed a police complaint on November 18. Authorities arrested Vinod, Shashank, and Nithin, recovering ₹30,000 and Arya’s laptop. The students were found to have exceeded the speed limit only three times, and the accusations were a ploy to extort money, said a senior officer according to TOI.
Efforts are ongoing to apprehend two other suspects involved in the case.
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