Woman held at knifepoint in Bengaluru's Indiranagar during attempted robbery

A 23-year-old woman was held at knifepoint by a man who tried to rob her of her gold chain at a shop in Bengaluru’s Indiranagar on October 31. The accused was overpowered by local residents and handed over to the police.

The incident took place between 11.45 am and 12.15 pm at a shop on 100 Feet Road, where the woman, identified as Jayashree S, worked. The accused, identified as 40-year-old Prabhuraj alias Raj, entered the shop wearing a helmet and gloves.

According to the FIR, he told Jayashree that someone was chasing him and trying to kill him. He then asked her not to shout before covering her mouth, pulling out a knife, and threatening her.

Prabhuraj held the knife against her throat and demanded her gold mangalsutra, weighing 35 grams and valued at around Rs 4.5 lakh. He also allegedly tried to glue her hands to a table to prevent her from resisting. The accused then attempted to take the chain from her neck. 

When Jayashree raised an alarm, neighbouring shopkeepers and passersby rushed in to help. Prabhuraj allegedly threatened to kill her if anyone approached him and tried to use her as a shield to escape. He also swung the knife at the people who intervened and attacked the shop owner. However, the public managed to overpower him and hand him over to the Indiranagar police.

A video of the incident, which has since circulated on social media, shows the helmet-wearing accused holding the woman by her neck and attempting to push her towards an autorickshaw.

The police arrested Prabhuraj and remanded him to judicial custody. He has been booked under Section 309(6) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for robbery. While the police said the woman was safe and uninjured, the FIR records minor injuries to her neck and hands during the struggle.

East Bengaluru Deputy Commissioner of Police Vikram Amathe said the police were verifying the accused’s background as he appeared to be mentally disturbed.