On January 30, Mumbai Police apprehended a taxi driver accused of defrauding an American woman by charging her ₹18,000 for a mere 400-meter taxi ride near the Mumbai International Airport. The situation came to light after the victim, Argentina Ariano, shared her experience on social media, prompting a quick response from the Sahar Police.
The suspect, identified as 50-year-old Deshraj Yadav, is a licensed taxi driver residing in Sahar Village. The incident took place on January 12, shortly after Ariano arrived in Mumbai from the United States for work purposes. She hired a taxi to reach a five-star hotel situated close to the airport.
Instead of taking her directly to her destination, Yadav allegedly drove around the Andheri (East) area for approximately 20 minutes, misleading her into believing it was a longer journey. He eventually dropped her off at a hotel nearby and demanded an exorbitant fare of ₹18,000 for the short distance.
The issue gained significant attention on January 26 when Ariano posted a video on social media platform X, detailing her ordeal. In her post, she claimed to have been scammed shortly after her arrival in Mumbai and included the taxi's registration number. The post quickly went viral, garnering over 100,000 views and inciting public outrage.
In her post, Ariano stated: "Landed in Mumbai recently and took a taxi to @HiltonHotels. The driver and another guy took us to an unknown location first, charged us $200 (₹18,000), and then dropped us at the hotel which was only 400m away. Taxi No: MH 01 BD 5405 #taxidriver #mumbai #RepublicDay2026 #india."
Following the viral post, the Sahar Police launched an investigation. Unable to contact Ariano immediately, they filed a First Information Report (FIR) on January 27, which was later updated on January 28. The case was registered under Sections 318(4) (cheating) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Using the taxi registration number from Ariano's post, police tracked down Yadav in Sahar Village. The white Toyota Etios involved in the incident was seized, and Yadav was arrested within three hours of the FIR being registered. He has since been presented in court and remanded to judicial custody.
Authorities revealed that two individuals were involved in the scam. While Yadav has been arrested, his accomplice, Taufiq Shaikh, remains at large, and efforts are underway to locate him. Senior police officials emphasized the role of social media in exposing such incidents and assured that strict measures would be taken against those exploiting tourists. Further investigations are ongoing to determine if the accused have been involved in similar scams previously.
This is not an isolated case. On December 24, 2024, an Australian NRI businessman named D Vijay was overcharged ₹2,800 for a 10-minute ride from the airport to a hotel in Vile Parle. Following his complaint, the Sahar police arrested the cab driver, Vinod Goswami.
Similarly, on December 14, 2024, an auto-rickshaw driver named Ritesh Kadam was arrested for charging ₹3,500 from a US-based student, Vishwajeet Patil, when the meter showed only ₹106 for the fare.
