Scary incidents on ORR, Bangalore

This particular incident happened to an individual living in the SUN City apartments on the Outer Ring Road, Bangalore. Below are the story and the response from police.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Suncity Residents - I would like to inform you of a rather unpleasant incident that happened with me last Monday, when I was returning home from my office during daytime for lunch. As soon as I took the left turn from ORR towards Suncity, two people on a black colored pulsar bike behind me started honking wildly and came by side of the car, asking me to stop. I lowered my glass window and they told me that I have caused an accident while on the way and they have been trying to stop me by following me since then. After this they stopped the bike in front of my car and I had to stop the car just after Drapes View.

I thought that there would have been a misunderstanding of some sort since I didn't recall being involved in any accident or hit while on my way. My intention was to talk to them and pacify them. As soon I stepped out of the car, the guy driving the bike said that I had driven the car over the foot of the person sitting on the pillion of the bike and that his foot was badly injured. He then said that there is a huge crowd that has gathered at the spot of the so called accident and I need to go back to that spot to settle things.

After this they came and forcibly sat inside the car, leaving the bike outside. Bike driver who now sat on the front seat of my car started threatening me by claiming that the person I have injured is the younger brother of a local goon, Munianna and that he is not going to leave me unharmed for this. I tried to reason with him and offered to take the other person to hospital to treat any possible injury that might have happened to him. He did not listen to me and went on with his threats, even uttering intentions to harm my car, apartment and family if not complied to his demands immediately.

Sensing trouble, I tried to call my colleague back at office at which he suddenly became violent and broke the rear view mirror of the car. Their sheer audacity of doing this in broad daylight, immediate damage to my car and continuous threatening by now led me to believe that they were indeed real goons and I had got caught in their clutches. He started demanding Rs 2 lakh as settlement for the injury to his friend. When I said that I didn't have Rs 2 lakh, they asked me to get the money from the ATM. I told them that I had only 15k in ATM and I cannot pay them Rs 2 lakh at which they forced me to hand over my two gold rings and a gold chain. They said that this is not enough and they need whatever money I had in ATM plus another Rs 1.5 lakh. I was then forced to drive to the ATM with these guys following me on bike and withdraw cash. I was unable to note down the registration number of the bike as it was in Kannada.

Thoughts of fleeing away after hitting them with the car and then going to police or shouting to gather crowd came to my mind but I decided against it as there wasn't any use doing these things with goons, they would have waylaid me again and done greater harm. I wanted to get out of the situation and hence I withdrew Rs 14,000 and gave it to them. As soon as I handed the money to them, they asked me to follow them but then they fled away. At that time I realized that this might be a gang operating for this very purpose and I had been one of their victims.

I went to HSR layout police station immediately to lodge a FIR, the SI refused to lodge one and instead took a written complaint without any receipt. My repeat visit didn't yield any results as SI/Inspector would not be present in the police station. Later on I came to know through various sources including police that such kind of incidents are on the rise in ORR/HSR Layout. The miscreants who looted me were on black colored Pulsar bike with registration number plate in Kannada and were in mid thirties(one stocky dark fellow and other was average build having wheatish complexion)

Please exercise caution even during daytime and do not fall in the trap of these miscreants as I did. Its advisable not to stop the car for any unknown person even during daytime irrespective of the reason given by them. Even if you have to do this, drive the car to a place where you are comfortable and have help available at hand. I would appreciate if anybody from EC can help me with getting the FIR lodged in HSR police station.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

L Y Rajesh, Police Inspector, HSR Layout Police station, shares tips to avoid getting mugged.

Recently a certain type of vehicle mugging cases are on the rise. They seem to be targeting IT employees specifically.

The areas that have been targeted are around Iblur junction, between Iblur and Marathahalli, or Iblur to Kaikondrahalli or Kaikondrahalli to Wipro. Timings is usually between 11 am to 4 pm. The offenders are riding a black Pulsar.  They are two or three of them. The vehicle has a kannada registration number plate. Identification marks: One person is stout and has a dark complexion. Another one is lean with medium complexion.

MODUS OPERANDI

• They stop your vehicle on a pretext, saying that you caused an accident.  
• Before stopping your vehicle, they continuously honk. Till the time you stop your vehicle, they are behind.  
• With little opportunity, immediately they sit inside your vehicle.  
• They try to panic you by saying: by accident you have injured a person and compensation has to be paid. 
• They tell you, you have to pay the amount immediately, as the injured person is the brother of a local Don. If you don’t settle, the amount might be problem and they induce you to pay the money.
• They ask you to give the money, by drawing from an ATM.
• Usually they target a person driving alone in the vehicle.
• They will persuade you to pay the money, they speak Kannada and broken Hindi.
• They will take money or gold but not cell phone.

HOW TO PREVENT AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THE POLICE IN NABBING THEM.

• If you come across such an incident, be bold, do not panic.
• Lock the internal locks of the vehicle. So that they cannot sit inside your vehicle.
• If by chance they get into your vehicle, get out immediately - you will be in a public place. Raise your voice and call the people around.
• Immediately take their photograph and as well as vehicle number plate with your cell phone.
• If they try to threaten you or manhandle you, keep a pepper spray as a defense and use it properly and carefully “if necessary”.
• In there are any such cases or even if you suspect any such persons in the locality, please call on the below mentioned cell phone numbers.
• If you are bold enough, immediately snatch their bike keys. Take their photographs, call the police, if the public are willing to help, secure them and hand over to police.
• If you are smart/tactful enough and can hold them in conversion, inform the police by way of SMS or call and assure that you will pay them and engage them till police reaches you.
• You can even tell them that you can arrange money from your friend and take them to place, where you know the people and then try to catch them with the help of known people and hand over them to police.

DON’TS

• Do not panic and give away all your valuables.
• Remember their operation is a planned one and even they are equally scared but they pretend to be courageous. 
• Do not lose your temper. Be cool and handle the situation diplomatically.
• Don’t take too much risk and don’t risk your life - your safety is more important.
• Don’t get down from the vehicle. And don’t allow any stranger to get into your vehicle. If they chase, immediately call the police or reach the traffic police for help. Stop the vehicle where there a lot of people and take their help.

Please be bold. Bangalore is still safe. There is nothing to panic. We are optimistic that  we will be able to nab them. A squad comprising of four police personnel is formed to nab these fellows. Please remember our crime constables are now patrolling the same roads in plain clothes and their phone numbers is mentioned below. You can reach them for help either on the officers cell number, Cheetah number or Crime constable number.

We are glad to serve you and we are at your service 24/7 to help the needy and bring the culprits before the court of law. We look forward for your cooperation. 

Inspector Rajesh Ph: 9448448833

Sub-Inspector Mirza Ali Raza, Ph: 9972833003

Ashok (Towards Marathahalli) -9902660986 (on Cheetah)

Vijayamurthy (Towards Iblur)-9980834703 (on Cheetah)

Manjunath Ph: 9845668681 (Crime Squad)

Ravindranath Ph: 9980399551 (Crime Squad)