Bike-taxi rider, friend rob passenger of phone, 500 cash

Chennai: A bike-taxi rider and his accomplice threatened and robbed a passenger of his mobile phone and cash near Madhavaram on Saturday night.The complainant, Leela Ram, 24, a native of Rajasthan, has been residing in Kallikuppam, Ambattur, for the past year and works as a welder. According to his complaint, after arriving at Chennai Central railway station, following a trip to his hometown, he booked a ride through a bike-taxi aggregator app to reach his workplace in Ambattur. While en route, the rider diverted the two-wheeler near Madhavaram roundabout and stopped at Thattankulam Road. Another unidentified person joined the rider there. Together, they threatened Ram and forcibly took his mobile phone worth 23,000 and 500 in cash before fleeing. The suspects also reportedly demanded that the victim transfer 3,500 via digital wallet to a specific mobile number before leaving.Madhavaram police have registered a case and are continuing their investigation to identify and apprehend the accused.