Scary Experience

New-South-Welshman

No moral, no scare tactics, just a true story.

My friends mates were travelling in India for the cricket during 2004 around October and November. The four of them were travelling where ever the Aussie cricket team were playing, etc. After the test series they all flew up to New Delhi from Bombay, and stayed there for a week. Three of them decided to head to a new city while one of them stayed in the city. Now, this is what he told me what happened two days after the other three left. He was in a pub drinking alone when two men speaking English came up to him and asked him if he wanted to make some quick money. The friend, not knowing any better, agreed and followed them into a van and they drove towards Karol Bagh. The friend got a bit worried, and kept asking them if he could be let out. The men were just saying stuff like "Not much further, lots of money, sir".
Anyway, they took him into a hotel room where two other men were waiting, apparently one of them was around two metres. So, obviously, he had been kidnapped. They kept him tied up in the hotel room for three nights, asking him to give them bandcards so they could empty out his bank account. They then demanded his passport, so he gave them all of that.
After the ordeal, they drove him near the airport and dumped him near some bushes. He flagged down some police and he told them the story. He still had his airlines ticket but they stole the passport. He called his brother in Sydney and told him to transfer some money into his account so he could get home. The Australian embassy helped him out and he made it home.
I asked him when he told me the story, if he'd go back to India again. "Definately. I'll always go back."

I was so surprised at his gullibility, but I'm glad he is safe.

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Mr. Burns "Non-violence never solved anything!"

capt_mahajan

reinforces everything we hear and read, including at IM, doesnt it?

New-South-Welshman

Exactly. Don't be a fool and stay cautious. Just like every country in the world.

PeakXV

Well it wouldn't surprise me that it was Karol Bagh where he ended up - scam headquarters of New Delhi. The fact that they offered him a chance to make quick money and he took the bait - hook, line, & sinker .... is an indication of how intoxicated he must have been. Quick money - India

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We shall not cease from exploration and at the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started ...and know the place for the first time.
T.S. Eliot

Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

Digital Drifter

some chaps came up and ask "money?" and he takes off with them just like that?

WTF has he got in his skull? brains? Alcohol? Fcuk, there is a GOD out there, that he came out of this episode alive!

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LuAnnandJawahar

hmmmmmmmmm Connaught Place would be the Scam Capital of Delhi-- hands down. In fact it would be the scam capital of India in our opinion!

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Reject violence.

PeakXV

Connaught place scams are plentiful but sooo obvious .... It's when you get in a taxi at the train station or airport (tired as hell) and just want to go to your hotel .. some idiot always wants to whisk ya off to Karol Bagh. Sir your hotel has a bomb scare ... etc. ... scams are one thing but the scams bordering on abduction ... really p*ss you off. I wonder how many tourists they ballywock that way.

Sama

would he do this at home, go off with strangers like that? but he thought it was OK to go off like this in India?

I would say that "not knowing any better" is definitely an understatement. Where I grew up, we have another word for it....

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My India, 2005-2008
BE THE REVOLUTION

davey

we had it tried on us in Jaipur took us to a place but they were not organised and I managed to get my wife into a nearby home and the family helped us out, they used the ploy of taking us to a factory outlet to buy wholesale clothing.

capt_mahajan

simple rule.. dont trust strangers, specially in a foreign land.
specially strangers making offers you can't refuse.

and, another simple rule. dont be stupid.

Blind Blake

Did you notice that Indians are much greater lovers of cricket than we Aussies? Australians only care about our own team, Indians know all about the other teams to a phenomenal degree.I conclude that we only love Aussie cricket- Indians love cricket cricket cricket.Aussie Aussie Aussie Hanoi Hanoi Annoyed.

batistuta

Glad that he is safe ,but he must not have gone with them in the
first place.

batistuta

Cricket is being broadcasted here even if it is played somewhere else and we have endless arguments on most trivial of issues
when it comes to cricket.
It is a big way to kill time in India to watch cricket .I prefer
to watch soccer.

P.s I like watching Gilchrist bat though.

Blind Blake

Batistuta, I am an unusual Australian- I love watching Tendulkar bat

jivan

hmm........ If I had been in his spot who knows, I might 've gone with them. What if it was a beautiful lady instead of a guy who had asked of an errand or a promise of good time. To be tempted is very easy whether it's money or beauty or whatever.
There have been many-a-times where I've been scared to take a stand or do whatever I felt I was doing & later out turned out to to be the best thing for myself. The only thing I would say I'm sure he's more wisened while not having a grudge against somebody which is very much a sign of maturity. New-South-Welshman u do have a good friend there.