BENGALURU: A 24-year-old autorickshaw driver, who was a novice at thieving, was caught red-handed and assaulted by the public on his very first attempt to steal from a couple’s house on Chokkanahalli Main Road in Sampigehalli. Not only did he end up filing a complaint with Sampigehalli police against those who nabbed and assaulted him, he also sought action by the police against his two accomplices who managed to escape when passerby nabbed him, ending in their arrests, too.
The hapless youth, M Azgar Khan, reportedly gave in to the lure of quick money by his two friends, Razak and Shyam, to accompany them to commit the crime. Khan felt his earnings were inadequate to support his daily dose of alcohol. To his bad luck, he was caught while his associates escaped, much to his ire.
Khan along with Razak and Shyam had come to the house of Rekha, 28, and her husband Samuel, on Saturday between 9.30pm and 10pm to steal electrical items, which the trio planned to sell and make money. While committing the theft inside the compound of the house, the couple got alerted and raised an alarm. Khan, Razak and Shyam allegedly attacked them with beer bottles and stones.
The injured couple raised an alarm, which drew the attention of passersby, who rushed to their rescue. Khan was nabbed and severely assaulted, while Razak and Shyam escaped. Khan was assaulted by an unverified number of people with one using a wooden plank, causing him a deep gash on the head that left him bleeding.
Thief, accomplices attacked burglary victims first
The injured couple and their rescuers then called ‘112’ and handed Khan over to the police. The police said Khan was taken for immediate medical treatment for his injuries.
Meanwhile, Rekha, after getting treated for her injuries, filed a complaint on Sunday morning about the attempt to steal and the attack on them at their premises. Incidentally, Khan, too, filed a complaint against ‘unknown persons’ for brutally assaulting him, besides seeking action from the police against his own two associates who had lured him into participating in the attempted crime and then abandoning him to his fate when passersby caught him.
Razak and Shyam were subsequently arrested after Azgar, who was already in the police net, was interrogated about his two associates.
The police said Rekha and Samuel run a laundry service now, after closing down a hotel they used to run which ran on loss. The items from the hotel, including several electrical items, were kept in the compound of their house.
Cases of causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons have been registered based on both the complaints. Based on Rekha’s complaint, an FIR has been registered against Khan. Razak and Shyam, while an FIR has been registered against “unknown persons” based on Khan’s complaint. However, Rekha and Samuel said they did not know those who attacked Khan.