Knife-wielding man holds shop employee hostage during robbery bid in Bengaluru

A helmet-wearing armed man allegedly barged into a shoe and bag repair shop on 100 feet road at Indiranagar in Bengaluru, assaulted a 23-year-old receptionist and attempted to rob her gold mangalsutra worth around ₹4.5 lakh on October 31.

The incident took a dramatic turn when the woman managed to free her hands and raise an alarm, attracting the attention of passers-by. She rushed on to the busy road. In a filmy scene, the accused then held her hostage at knifepoint and threatened the people who began gathering outside, triggering panic in the busy locality.

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According to the complaint filed by the woman, a resident of Domlur, she had been working as a receptionist at Premium Shoe and Bag Repair for nearly three years. She was alone in the shop when the accused, wearing a helmet and gloves, entered around 11.45 a.m.

Claiming that someone was trying to kill him, the man suddenly jumped over the counter in a bid to get close to the receptionist. When the woman attempted to call the shopowner, the accused allegedly forced her to sit down, held her mouth shut, and threatened to kill her if she screamed.

He then allegedly attacked her with a knife, applied gum to her hands, and stuck them to the desk. He stuffed a piece of cloth in her mouth before forcibly removing her gold mangalsutra weighing around 35 grams.

Armed man holds woman hostage during robbery attempt in Bengaluru’s Indiranagar

Armed man holds woman hostage during robbery attempt in Bengaluru’s Indiranagar
| Video Credit:
The Hindu

However, the woman managed to free her hands and raised an alarm. When passers-by rushed inside the shop, the accused grabbed the woman by the hair, dragged her to a side, and held a knife to her neck. He warned the other people not to approach him.

When the shopowner and others attempted to overpower him, he allegedly swung the knife at them and attacked the owner before trying to flee with the stolen chain.

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Passers-by and traffic police personnel chased the accused and managed to apprehend him before handing him over to the Indiranagar police.

The police said the accused has been remanded to judicial custody. Preliminary information suggests that he may be experiencing mental health issues and depression, an officer said.