Kai and Shirin ýTrostrum —honeymooners from Germany took a pre-paid taxi from Delhi airport to go to a Paharganj hotel where they have already booked a room. But about an hour later, they found themselves in Gole Market instead.
Rajender Singh, driver of the black-and-yellow taxi registered with the Delhi Police, took them to a travel agent's office, convincing them that the Paharganj hotel was full.
The agent, Jahangir Ahmed Wani, turned out to be far from an accommodating businessman. When the couple started questioning, he made them sign a travel programme, kept them for the night at his office and forced them to pay Rs 1.16 lakh.
Early next morning, the ýTrostrums were bundled into another taxi and taken to a Pushkar hotel, said RA Sanjeev, DCP (airport).
They didn't even know where they were going and Wani, before sending them away, took away $200 and 25 euros more from them.
Sanjeev said the ýTrostrums were so scared that they sneaked out of the Pushkar hotel and took a bus to Delhi. The couple arrived in Delhi on January 6 night, and went straight to the German embassy. On Tuesday, the police arrested both Wani and Singh.