BENGALURU: A 29-year-old man has been arrested by Jnanabharathi police for allegedly sexually harassing and assaulting a woman outside her paying guest (PG) accommodation, an incident that was captured on CCTV. The incident took place on Monday afternoon on Ullal Main Road.
The victim and the accused were in a relationship after getting to know each other through Instagram. Police said the relationship later became strained, following which the woman began avoiding him and blocked his number. Angered by this, the accused allegedly went in search of her and attacked her outside her PG.
The accused has been identified as Naveen Kumar, a resident of Billamaranahalli in Yelahanka. Naveen, who has studied up to PUC, is currently unemployed.
Police said he allegedly sexually harassed and assaulted the 21-year-old victim at around 3.20 pm on Monday. The victim works as a tele-caller and had met the accused on Instagram in 2024.
"The accused who came in a car stopped next to the two-wheeler on which the victim was about to leave with her female friend. He suddenly grabbed her and started questioning her for avoiding him. He also pulled her bag and checked for something. He also held her tightly and checked her looking for something. He then attacked her in public and left in the car for refusing to continue the relationship. In the CCTV footage, the victim is heard screaming with pain," said an officer.
According to the police, the woman’s friend, who was riding the scooter, witnessed the entire incident.
Following the woman’s complaint, the police arrested the accused within 24 hours. Further investigations are under way.