KOCHI: A group of three persons, pretending to be prospective buyers responding to an online sales ad, fled with an Innova after taking it for a test drive. The owner of the car is still groping in the dark about the whereabouts of his vehicle even two months after it was tstolen.
The police said Perumbavoor native Jibin posted an online ad for the sale of his Innova in November last and the trio came to his house in the morning of November 26. After inspecting the vehicle, the accused requested for a test drive of the car. Trusting them, Jibin gave the car keys to them. They took the vehicle and drove away towards Perumbavoor.
As per the complaint lodged by Jibin, he waited for a few hours for the accused to return with the car. Though he tried to contact on the mobile phones of the accused, they were found switched off. The case was registered on December 10, 2021, a police officer said, adding that the accused were charged with criminal breach of trust and cheating.
Meanwhile, two of the accused, identified as Shamon P S, 29, of Perumbavoor and Muhammed Sha, 31, of Moovattupuzha, moved the sessions court seeking anticipatory bail, contending there was an agreement to sell the vehicle to them. The court dismissed the plea on January 14.
“It is true that the accused have put forward a contention that there was an agreement to sell the vehicle to them, but it was not signed by the complainant. It is hardly possible to believe that persons who approach the seller of a motor vehicle would accept an unsigned agreement for the sale, and proceed further in that transaction. There is no reason to think that the complainant might have come forward with false accusations against the accused,” additional sessions judge G Girish said dismissing the bail plea.