Taken for a ride: Kerala grad scoots with ‘test’ vehicle

Mohammed Nihal of Thalassery, an MCA graduate, approached U Victor (39) of Choolaimedu after he posted an ad on OLX to sell his Royal Enfield motorcycle. Victor, who was convinced that Nihal was a genuine buyer, gave the bike without any hesitation when the later asked for a test ride on Sunday. However, Nihal never returned. 

Following a complaint, Aminjikarai police registered a case and traced the accused to the hotel he was staying in at Nolambur and remanded him. Investigation revealed that conning people through OLX was Nihal’s full-time job. “He would express interest to purchase different products posted on OLX and cheat the owners. He uses one SIM card per cheating and discard it to go scot-free,” crime inspector Madheswaran of Aminjikarai police station, who secured him by tracing the IMEI number of the phone he used to speak to the victim. Inquiries revealed that Nihal had even planned to cheat an auto driver and the hotel owner where he stayed. 

Kovai man held: S Vikram, from Coimbatore was cheated in a similar manner by bike owner Lakshmanakumar, who after receiving an advance payment of Rs 30,000, fled with the bike. However, the culprit was later handed over to the police.