The couple had boarded a share autorickshaw for Vejalpur after getting down at the Kalupur railway station late that night. While Shanta was made to sit on the rear seat with two other ‘passengers’, the driver made her husband sit beside him. En-route, the youths seated on the rear seat, flicked Rs 5,000 in cash, a mobile phone and a bank ATM card from Solanki’s handbag.

Vejalpur Inspector G R Gadhvi said: “He told the victims that police security had been heightened in the city that night and they will have to get down, otherwise he will have to pay a penalty for ferrying more than the allowed number of passengers. He apologised to the elderly couple and offered to get them another autorickshaw. He also waived the fare.”

Gadhvi added that it was after reaching their son’s place that they came to know about the theft. At that time, they apparently had no idea about the ATM card missing.

It was on Thursday that they came to know that a sum of Rs 80,000 had been withdrawn from their Jamnagar bank account.