A viral post on the social media platform Reddit narrating that two women were attacked with a knife by a motorcyclist on successive days in the same locality in Bengaluru’s Indiranagar has left residents concerned. In her Reddit post made on Tuesday, Swastika* has written, “My sister was attacked with a knife by a biker on 12th Main Road, Indiranagar. It was 9:15 pm, Saturday, 13th March. She was walking on 12th Main Road, 1st cross when a biker approached her and slashed her on the thigh and fled. She immediately went to Chinmaya mission hospital where she was told that this was definitely a knife wound. She got 10 stitches.”
12th Main Road in Indiranagar is a popular street with some commercial establishments dotting the upscale residential zone.
She added when her sister was rushed to the hospital to get medical attention, she was told by the staff at Chinmaya Mission Hospital that a very similar incident had occurred on the previous day.
“Now here’s the catch, they told her that the exact same thing had happened to a girl the night before when she was out on a run, around the same time, in the same area. She was wounded on the thigh as well and the same knife wound,” she added in her post.
Swastika* went on to say that her sister informed the police about the incident and also managed to get CCTV footage of the attack from a house on the street. However, the number plate on the motorcycle was not clearly seen in the footage, she said.
Jurisdictional Deputy Commissioner of Police SD Sharanappa acknowledged the incident. “The victim of the attack doesn't want to give an official complaint. So they (Indiranagar Police) are not able to actively investigate. But they are trying to track the person down. They don't have clear CCTV footage,” he told TNM.
Jurisdictional Indiranagar police were unavailable for comment.
Poojitha Reddy, a resident in the same neighbourhood told TNM that residents like her, especially women, are having second thoughts about stepping out after the dark in the light of this incident. “Earlier, Indiranagar used to be a peaceful area. We could easily walk back from the gym or go for a stroll at around 9 pm as it’s most peaceful and there’s no vehicular traffic. But now over the last two years, we have been hearing incidents like this in our neighbourhood WhatsApp groups.”
Many users from Bengaluru have pointed out on the viral Reddit post that Indiranagar is seeing an increasing number of incidents where their phones were snatched and other similar petty crimes.
Poojitha added incidents like this have led to some residents hiring private security services.
Sneha Nandihal, the member of the neighbourhood collective I-Change Indiranagar, said they went to the Assistant Commissioner of Police’s office on Tuesday and submitted a petition. “We have asked the police to increase patrolling and asked them to question drivers who remain parked in the area without any purpose. We also asked the police to take up this case on a suo motu basis,” she said. She added that people from the collective also have tried to reach out to the survivor of the attack and extend support.
(*TNM has withheld the Reddit user’s name as we have not been able to get in touch with her independently yet.)