Bengaluru: A 33-year-old man’s app date took a frightening turn after he was allegedly surrounded by four men, forcibly driven around in a car, and robbed of over Rs 3.7 lakh. The ordeal began after he met a woman at her request near a pub, and she allegedly drove him to an isolated spot and had him kidnapped by her associates.Jacob (name changed), a resident of Chandapura in Bengaluru Rural and an employee at a private firm, had been using the dating app for the past few months. A few days ago, he came in contact with a woman named Poonam through the app. After exchanging details about their interests, they shared mobile numbers. Poonam claimed to be a resident of Electronics City.Jacob said Poonam invited him to meet at a pub on Hulimangala Main Road in Electronics City on Aug 19. He reached the pub around 9.45pm, and Poonam arrived in a white SUV. She asked him to get into the vehicle, saying they would visit a nearby fuel station to refuel before returning to the pub.While travelling, Poonam stopped the vehicle at a dark, isolated spot, claiming she needed to relieve herself. Four unidentified men then allegedly approached them, threatened Jacob, and forced him back into the SUV before driving some distance. They then shifted him to a grey-coloured car and drove him around.The accused allegedly threatened to kill Jacob if he raised an alarm or resisted. They robbed him of his wallet containing Rs 7,000, along with his debit and credit cards. They then drove to an ATM kiosk and forced him to reveal his debit card PIN. Using the card, they withdrew Rs 45,000. They later refuelled their car using his credit card.During the early hours of Aug 20, the miscreants allegedly reset his credit card password and transferred Rs 3.2 lakh to another account.Around 10am, the suspects allegedly abandoned Jacob on the road behind Electronics City Metro station and fled after warning him of dire consequences if he approached police. While in their custody, Jacob learnt that Poonam had tricked him.Jacob returned home and told his family about the ordeal. After obtaining the transaction statement from his bank, he approached Hebbagodi police on Aug 25.Based on his complaint, police registered a case under BNS Sections 140 (kidnapping or abducting in order to murder or for ransom) and 308 (extortion). A senior officer said efforts were being made to nab the gang, including the woman, using her mobile number and CCTV footage from the ATM and fuel station.
