‘Pushed him down, grabbed my bag’: Bengaluru CEO escapes theft attempt in London, says India much safer

The co-founder and CEO of a Bengaluru-based startup almost became the victim of luggage theft in London and has since shared his thoughts on the safety standards of the UK capital. Kaushik Mudda, the CEO of deeptech manufacturing startup Ethereal Machines, said in an X post that India is “1000 times safer” than London after his unpleasant experience.

Distraction theft attemptIn an X post shared last night, Mudda revealed how his first day in London was marred by a distraction-based attempted luggage theft.

The Bengaluru CEO said the attempt took place as he got into a cab outside Euston railway station in Central London. Mudda had just put his luggage into the boot of the car and sat down inside when a man appeared at his window, claiming the tyre of the cab was punctured.(

The thieves ran away, he said in his X post.

“India is safer” “First night in London - got out of Euston, put my bags in cab’s boot. Sat down, a guy appears claiming the tyre was punctured,” Mudda wrote on X, describing the sequence of events.

“Jumped out & saw another guy whose hand was inside the boot to steal my bag.

“Pushed him down, I grabbed my bag and they ran,” he said.

Mudda reflected on the safety of living in India versus London as he concluded: “India is 1000 times safer.”(

Several people in the comments section claimed to have faced similar theft attempts in London. However, Mudda was also subjected to some viciously racist comments.(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)