Pune: Man Extorted Rs 1600 For 16 ‘Punctures’ In Bike Tyre Near Viman Nagar, FIR Registered
Sumit Singh
Viman Nagar, 2nd December 2023 A new form of fraud, dubbed the ‘puncture fraud,’ has surfaced in Pune, leaving citizens wary and prompting a police investigation. In this deceptive scheme, drivers are lured to a puncture shop under the pretext of having a flat tyre, only to be falsely informed about multiple punctures and coerced into paying exorbitant amounts for unnecessary repairs.
The latest incident occurred in the Yerwada area, where an Air Force staff commuting to Command Hospital fell victim to this fraudulent practice, losing Rs 1600 in the process.
The 39-year-old complainant, who resides in Air Force Station, filed a complaint under sections 420, 427, and 34 of the IPC against three unidentified individuals and the puncture shop owner. The incident took place on November 28 between 11:00 and 12:00 pm near the bridge close to Ramwadi Jakat Naka on Pune-Ahmednagar Road.
According to Assistant Police Inspector Ravindra Alekar, the complainant was flagged down by a stranger near the Ramwadi Jakat Naka, claiming that his motorcycle’s rear wheel needed attention. The stranger directed the complainant to a nearby puncture shop, where two more unknown individuals were present. After falsely asserting that the motorcycle had sixteen punctures, the accused extorted Rs 1600 from him. Realizing the deception the next day, he promptly filed a complaint at Yerwada police station.
This incident has raised concerns, leading to a police investigation. Assistant Inspector Alekar mentioned that efforts are underway to locate the suspected individuals, who are currently at large.
Most of the puncture shops are located opposite Ramwadi police chowky under Yerwada police station.
This ‘puncture fraud’ isn’t an isolated incident, with a similar case reported on July 29, 2023. Saurabh Arvindkumar Kaushal fell victim to a similar scam, where he was extorted Rs 1700 under the guise of repairing 17 punctures. A case was registered at Yerwada police station under IPC 420, 429, 34.
As a precautionary measure, citizens are advised to check their tyre pressure regularly, consult regular and trusted shopkeepers for puncture repairs, and remain cautious during tyre inspections to avoid falling prey to such scams.
“The entire tyre should be examined to determine the number of punctures before deciding whether to proceed with repairs. Puncture shop owners often sprinkle chemical or shampoo water on the tyre, stopping to repair it whenever they notice bubbles. This process is repeated multiple times. Therefore, it is advisable to apply their water across the entire tyre at once to identify all punctures. If you are already driving the two-wheeler, there cannot be more than two punctures in a tyre”, an expert from a tyre company emphasized.
