Travel agency, staff vanish with 110 cabs

Bengaluru: North division police have launched a manhunt for a travel agency owner and his two staffers after the three allegedly vanished with around 110 cabs attached to their agency.
The accused are Shivakumar, owner of RS Tours and Travels, and his two staffers Srikant and Krishne Gowda. Their office at MEI Layout, Bagalagunte is locked since the second week of November and their mobile phones are off.The first complaint was registered on November 16.
“I had attached my cab with RS Tours and Travels in March this year. Shivakumar would pay me Rs 15,000 every month for attaching my car. Like me, there were hundreds of cab owners, who had attached their four-wheelers with Shivakumar for a monthly income of Rs 15,000,” cabbie Yashas HG of Laggere stated in his complaint. Thereafter, more complaints started pouring in, said police.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused would get cabs attached to their agency and pay their owners Rs 15,000 per month. RS Travels was in the business for more than three years, added police.
“As of Monday evening, we have received around 110 complaints against Shivakumar and the others. Most of the owners have attached one cab, while some of them have attached more. Accused Shivakumar had made payments to most of the cab owners till September,” an investigating officer said.
Police personnel visited offices and other addresses where RS Travels was operating cabs. “Most offices claim to have no idea about Shivakumar or the others,” the investigator added. tnn