Trio barges into van, strips, robs BPO staffers

Two BPO staffers were stripped, beaten up and robbed in their office van on way to their workplace by three men travelling in another car in Mico Layout in southeastern Bengaluru.

Police recently arrested three suspects based on the description given by the victims and the CCTV camera footage.

For the BPO staffers, the incident unfolded like a nightmare. Apart from the driver, there was no one else in the van. Around 2 am on September 30 as they reached Mico Layout 2nd Stage, three men travelling in a car from the opposite direction stopped their van and picked up a fight with the driver.

They said he had installed high beam lights (headlamps) in the van, affecting other road users.

The BPO employees objected to their behaviour. Angered by the duo’s intervention, the three men took out belts and attacked them.

They overpowered and stripped them. Then, they snatched a silver ring, a bracelet, two mobile phones, a wrist watch and Rs 300 in cash from them. They also grabbed two ATM cards.

One of the suspects got the victims to reveal the ATM Personal Identification Numbers (PINs). He then went to a nearby ATM kiosk to withdraw cash. But the machine didn’t accept the cards. He then ran back to the van and informed his accomplices.

The trio assaulted the victims again. But a while later, they got down and fled.

Police said they arrested the suspects identified as Kiran, Sathish and Sathish, all aged about 25 and residents of Begur, Mico Layout and Ragigudda respectively.

They all work as cab drivers. They have been booked under sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 364 (kidnap) and 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) of the IPC. Police requested the press not to disclose the identity of the victims.