NOIDA, Aug. 16 — A cab driver in Noida was arrested after allegedly holding a family “hostage” during a ride and attempting to outrun police in a high-speed chase, officials said Saturday. The incident, partly captured in a video by the passengers, showed a four-year-old girl crying in fear as her parents pleaded with the driver to stop.
Police said the incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, when Sanjay Mohan booked a cab from Greater Noida to Connaught Place in Delhi for himself, his wife and their young daughter. At Parthala bridge, officers signaled the driver to halt, but he allegedly jumped the barricades and sped away.
“The family repeatedly requested him to stop and let them out, but he ignored and drove rashly for several kilometers while PCR vans chased him,” an officer said. The driver eventually stopped for a few seconds at TP Nagar, allowing the family to get out, before fleeing the scene.
The video of the ordeal went viral on social media Friday, prompting police to identify and track down the suspect. Noida Phase 3 police later arrested the driver, identified as Nasim, also known as Sonu, from the Sahara cut. Two Aadhaar cards in both names were recovered from his possession.
“On August 14, a viral video of rash driving by a cab driver surfaced. Police registered a case at Phase 3 station, and the accused was arrested,” Central Noida DCP Shakti Mohan Awasthy said. “The Wagon R has been seized and a challan of ₹29,500 was issued.”
Mohan told police that his wife sustained minor injuries to her hand during the ordeal.
The accused has been booked under multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 137(2) for kidnapping, Section 127(2) for wrongful confinement, Section 281 for rash driving, Section 319 for cheating by personation, Section 318(4) for cheating, Section 336(2) for forgery, and Section 338 for forgery of valuable security, among others, officials said.
