24 November,2011 07:11 AM IST | | Amit Singh
Several cases have come to light of private cab drivers in Noida looting people by showing weapons
Next time you go to Noida via Metro and get down at Botanical Garden station, give a miss to cabs waiting outside. The Noida police have received several complaints in the last couple of days wherein people were looted and harassed by these cab drivers.
Representative pic
According to the police, commuters going to nearby places such as Greater Noida, Kalindi Kunj or Ghaziabad, get down at the Botanical Garden station. There, private cab drivers offer cheap rates for a drop and are quite popular among the people. Some, however, regretted taking these cabs.
"Women and children are their easiest prey. Though there are enough police personnel patrolling the expressway, there are still some isolated spots. The cab drivers generally show some weapon and loot the commuters," said a police officer.
In the last couple of days, nearly five such incidents have been reported. The latest victim was a Greater Noida resident, who was looted last Sunday. Similarly in August, two foreign students were looted of Rs 70,000. A stock broker was also looted at gunpoint on Greater Noida Expressway by cab drivers the same month.
A police chowki was also set up at the Metro station to curb this menace. "We have been warning people to not take these cabs. But to control it fully is not possible," said an officer.
A Metro official said, "We have full security inside the station but the happenings outside the station should be taken care of by the Noida police." Commuters, on the other hand, had a different tale to tell. "I have been travelling on this route for years. In the chowki set up by the Noida police, there are hardly any personnel. On rare occasions when you find them, they are either gossiping or sitting idly," said Sumi Verma, a Greater Noida resident, who prefers to take a bus. Another regular commuter, Ankesh Parashar, said, "The police are working hand-in-gloves with these drivers. Everyone has a share in the income."
