A daylight robbery at a shoe and bag repair shop in Bengaluru's Indiranagar took a violent turn after a knife-wielding man allegedly attacked a 23-year-old woman employee, glued her hands to a desk and snatched her gold mangalya chain worth Rs 4.5 lakh.
The incident occurred on October 31 at Premium Shoe & Bag Repair on 100 Feet Road. The accused, identified as Prabhuraj alias Raj, 40, allegedly entered the shop wearing a helmet and gloves to conceal his identity before threatening the woman with a knife.
According to the complaint filed by Jayashree S, a resident of Domlur, she had opened the shop at around 10 am and was handling customer transactions alone. At approximately 11.45 am, the accused entered the premises and suddenly jumped over the reception counter.
He initially told Jayashree that someone was coming to kill him and warned her against screaming. When she attempted to contact the shop owner, Ranjith Kumar, the accused allegedly forced her into a chair, covered her mouth and pulled out a knife from his bag.
How The Accused Used Fevikwik To Restrain The Woman
The complaint details a series of attacks allegedly carried out to prevent Jayashree from seeking help.
The accused allegedly threatened to kill her, attacked her neck and hands with the knife and applied Fevikwik adhesive to both her hands, sticking them to the desk. He also stuffed a piece of cloth into her mouth before forcibly removing her approximately 35-gram gold mangalya chain.
The chain was valued at around Rs 4.5 lakh, according to the complaint.
However, when Prabhuraj attempted to leave, Jayashree managed to free her hands and scream for help, drawing the attention of people nearby.
Woman Held Hostage At Knifepoint As Public Rushes To Help
The attempted escape soon turned into a hostage situation.
As people gathered outside the shop, the accused allegedly grabbed Jayashree by her hair, dragged her back inside and held a knife against her neck. He warned the gathering crowd against intervening.
By then, shop owner Ranjith Kumar and other people had reached the spot and attempted to overpower him. The accused allegedly brandished his knife at them and attacked Ranjith before pulling Jayashree out of the shop and attempting to flee.
Members of the public, along with traffic police personnel present nearby, chased and apprehended him.
A video of the incident, which surfaced on social media, reportedly shows the accused holding the woman at knifepoint and attempting to move her towards an autorickshaw while people gathered around them.
Who Is The Accused? What Bengaluru Police Said
The accused has been identified as Prabhuraj alias Raj, 40. He was arrested by Indiranagar police following Jayashree's complaint. A case was registered under Section 309 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the robbery.
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Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Vikram Amathe, as cited by IANS, said the woman was safe and had not sustained any serious injuries. Police are verifying the accused's background, as he reportedly appeared to be mentally disturbed and depressed.
The accused was questioned and subsequently produced before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody. The incident has also drawn attention to the role played by bystanders and traffic police personnel in preventing the accused from escaping with the woman.