Ahmedabad: A 44-year-old businessman from Isanpur has filed a complaint with Sector 7 police in Gandhinagar, alleging that he was cheated of Rs 26.5 lakh after renting out five cars for use as radio cabs. According to the complaint registered on Friday, the complainant is engaged in the vehicle rental transport business. In Dec last year, he came across a social media advertisement seeking cars on rent for operation with app-based cab services such as Ola and Uber. The advertiser claimed to be running a legitimate business of leasing vehicles and operating them as radio cabs, assuring timely monthly payments for each vehicle. The businessman stated that after being shown bank transaction details and receiving repeated assurances, he agreed to rent out five cars between Dec and Jan. The vehicles, collectively valued at around Rs 26.5 lakh, were handed over for commercial use under an agreement that specified monthly rentals. Initially, the accused paid rent for the first two months, which helped establish trust. However, from Feb onwards, the payments reportedly stopped. Despite repeated phone calls and reminders, the accused allegedly kept making verbal promises without clearing the dues. The situation worsened when the complainant found the accused’s mobile phone switched off and discovered that he was not available at the address mentioned in the agreement. The businessman alleged that neither the pending rent was paid nor were the five vehicles returned, prompting him to approach the police. Sector 7 police have begun inquiries based on the complaint.
