Mumbai taxi driver held for cheating American woman by charging Rs 18k for 400-metre ride

Mumbai Police on Friday arrested a taxi driver for allegedly cheating an American woman by charging her Rs 18,000 for a taxi ride of just 400 metres near the Mumbai International Airport.

The case came to light after the victim shared her ordeal on social media, prompting swift action by the Sahar Police.

According to police officials, the accused has been identified as 50-year-old Deshraj Yadav, a permit taxi driver residing in Sahar Village.

The incident occurred on January 12, shortly after the victim, Argentina Ariano, arrived in Mumbai from the United States for work. Police said that Ariano hired a taxi from the airport to travel to a five-star hotel located close to the airport.

Instead of taking her directly to the hotel, the accused allegedly drove her around the



Andheri (East) area for nearly 20 minutes, creating the impression of a long journey. 

He later dropped her at a hotel in the same locality and demanded an exorbitant fare of Rs 18,000 for the ride, which was actually less than half a kilometre in distance.

The matter came to public attention on January 26, when Ariano shared a video describing her experience on social media platform X.

In her post, she alleged that she was scammed shortly after landing in Mumbai and also shared the registration number of the taxi.