BENGALURU: Muggers have come up with a new modus operandi to snatch mobile phones from innocent victims, as seen in a recent incident involving a few college students. Two muggers robbed phones from four students in broad daylight on October 15, near National College.
According to the complaint filed by Sherwin Steve, 17, a resident of JK Puram in Adugodi who is studying PUC at National College, Jayanagar, he reached college at around 9.45 am. Steve, along with his classmates Dharshan, Sanpreth and Shreyas, all residents of Bannerghatta Road, went to eat lunch near Lakshman Rao Park at 12.45pm, during their break. After eating, they were returning to college, when two persons on a scooter approached them.
The rider asked the students who among them is Adarsh. When Steve and his friends told them that none of them are Adarsh, the duo continued to argue with them, trying to prove that one among them is the person they were looking for. The duo alleged that one among them has been calling a girl they know, alleging that she has been harassed. When the students tried to explain that they have not called any girl, nor do they know anyone by the name the accused mentioned, the duo asked them to hand over their phones, as they want to check their call records. The pillion rider got down from the bike and took the phones from them, forcibly. He acted as if he was checking call records, but then jumped back on the bike and tried to leave. Steve and his friends ran after the bike, asking the duo to return their phones.
The duo then pulled out lethal weapons and threatened them to kill the students if they don’t give way for them to leave. The accused said they are going to wait for them near the college to sort out the issues, but left. It is only after this that the students realised they had been robbed. They immediately brought the issue to the notice of their college management.
Steve later filed a complaint with Jayanagar police. An investigating officer said this is a new technique being used by muggers. “Students have to be more careful. Muggers may strike in other places too. We have taken up a case of robbery and are making efforts to nab the miscreants,” the officer said.