Man cheats woman pushcart vendor, speeds away with flowers, cash in Bengaluru

A man stole flowers valued at Rs 4,000 and Rs 15,000 in cash from a flower vendor in an incident reported last week.

At 9.15 am on June 23, 54-year-old Ratnamma, who sells flowers on a pushcart in N Cross Krishnappa Garden, encountered a scooter-borne man who requested her to pack 'kanakambara' and jasmine flowers worth Rs 500.

Ratnamma, who resides in Krishnappa Garden, NG Palya, complied and asked for the payment. But in response, the man said he needed more flowers for his daughter's house-warming ceremony and inquired about the price of all her flowers. Ratnamma quoted a price of Rs 4,000 for the entire lot.

The man then asked for incense packets and Rs 500 notes for the ceremony. Ratnamma left her cart and went to her house nearby to fetch the requested items. She returned with the incense packets and Rs 17,000 in cash. The man pointed out a nearby house, claiming it was his daughter's, and asked Ratnamma to bring her cart there to collect the money.

'Like a daughter'

When Ratnamma insisted on receiving the payment for her flowers first, the man touched her head and assured her that he would not deceive her, saying she was "like a daughter".

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“It felt like I lost my senses after he touched my head. I gave him Rs 15,000. He kept the flowers on his scooter and asked me to sit on his vehicle and said he would pay me at the house. I refused to sit on his scooter and said I would follow him. But he sped away,” Ratnamma said.

Recovering from the "spell", Ratnamma realised her mistake when the other vendors asked her why she was sitting on the roadside.

Ratnamma described the man to police as someone who spoke Kannada and appeared to be aged around 65 years.

A case of cheating has been registered at the Suddaguntepalya police station.