BENGALURU: A 40-year-old man, who allegedly snatched a woman’s gold chain and held her hostage at knifepoint while trying to flee, was caught by the public and handed over to the police. The incident took place in broad daylight on 100 Feet Road in Indiranagar on October 31.
The accused, Prabhuraj, is a delivery executive and resident of Surya City. The victim, Jayashree S (23), works as a receptionist at a shoe and bag repair shop on 100 Feet Road in Indiranagar.
The police said that around 11.45 am on October 31, Prabhuraj entered the shop wearing a helmet and gloves and jumped over the reception counter.
Prabhuraj told Jayashree that someone was coming to kill him and warned her not to scream. When she attempted to call the shop owner, he forcibly made her sit down, took out a knife from his bag and threatened to kill her if she raised an alarm.
Accused gagged victim with cloth, glued her hands
The accused then applied an instant adhesive to both her hands, sticking them together, and stuffed a piece of cloth into her mouth. He continued threatening her while holding a knife to her neck before allegedly snatching her gold mangalsutra, weighing around 35 gm and worth approximately Rs 4.5 lakh, the police said.
When he tried to flee, Jayashree managed to free her hands from the adhesive and screamed for help. Hearing her screams, members of the public gathered outside the shop. The accused then grabbed her by the hair, dragged her back inside and held a knife to her neck, warning those gathered not to intervene.
Meanwhile, traffic police personnel and members of the public attempted to apprehend him. After a brief chase, he was caught and handed over to the Indiranagar police. Based on Jayashree’s complaint, the police registered a robbery case against the accused. Preliminary observations suggest that he may be suffering from mental distress and depression. The police are currently verifying his background, a senior police officer said.
