Qld: Cabbie accused of detaining women allowed to visit India

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2010
Qld: Cabbie accused of detaining women allowed to visit India

By Tony Bartlett

GOLD COAST, April 7 AAP - A Gold Coast taxi driver will be allowed to visit his family
in India despite allegations he locked five women in his cab over a disputed fare.

Karan Luthra is accused of locking the women in his taxi and erratically driving them
around Surfers Paradise after they challenged his fee of $30 for a 7km trip.

The 24-year-old has been charged with five counts of deprivation of liberty.

Luthra appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court on Wednesday seeking to change the
conditions of his bail so he could fly to India to see his sick mother and attend his
sister's wedding.

Police opposed the application, arguing there was a strong case against him.

Sgt Brian Cazzulino told the court a dispute erupted between Luthra and five women
he had collected from Southport in his maxi taxi and drove to Surfers Paradise.

He said the women, aged between 24 and 32, challenged the fee of $30 saying the normal
fare for the trip was $20.

The court was told Luthra told his passengers he couldn't show them the fare on the
meter as he had rounded it down to $30 as he approached Surfers Paradise, clearing details
from the screen.

Sgt Cazzulino said Luthra then trapped the women in his cab and for the next 25 minutes
drove erratically around Surfers Paradise, accelerating and braking sharply.

He said police would produce recordings of a triple-0 call where the women could clearly
be heard crying, pleading with Luthra to slow down and let them out, and offering to pay
him the full $30.

Sgt Cazzulino said after eventually paying the fare, the women were released and went
straight to police.

Luthra's solicitor said her client had already lost three fares that night when people
jumped from his cab and ran off without paying.

Katie Chan told the court that after being directed by his taxi company to take the
women to the nearest police station, Luthra pulled up outside the Cyprus Avenue police
post, but drove off again after seeing three men standing nearby who he feared would attack
him if he let the women out.

Ms Chan said her client denied the women asked him to stop and let them out and recorded
conversations with his taxi company would support his case.

She appealed to Magistrate Terry Duroux to allow Luthra to fly home to India as his
mother was ill and his sister was about to be married.

She said he intended to return to the Gold Coast in time for the resumption of his
next university semester on April 22.

After Luthra offered to post $5,000 surety, the magistrate altered his bail conditions
to allow the trip to India.

The case has been set down for mention on May 11.

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KEYWORD: LUTHRA

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