Spurned in love, gym trainer chases, stabs woman

A gym instructor chased a home maker in full public view before stabbing her several times in the chest, face and back in Kasturinagar under the Ramamurthy Nagar police station limits on Monday afternoon. Later, he attempted suicide by slitting his throat.

The woman, Manjula Harsha, 27, a resident of 4th ‘C’ main road, OMBR Layout, and her assailant, Anthony alias Stephen, 26, from J B Nagar and an instructor at a gym in OMBR Layout which she regularly visited for workouts, were rushed to a nearby hospital. Anthony was later taken to the Lady Bowring and Curzon Hospital. Both of them are in critical condition, the police said.

Manjula is married to Harsha who works at a private firm. The couple have a four-year-old son. Although the exact cause for the attack is unclear, initial investigation pointed at revenge and Anthony’s fascination for Manjula.

He had allegedly misbehaved with her twice at the gym. On her complaint, the gym owner had sacked Anthony one-and-a-half months ago. He held a grudge ever since as she did not reciprocate his advances but saw to it that he was sacked, according to the police.

“Both Manjula and Anthony are unable to speak as they are in a highly critical condition. Manjula’s husband Harsha is in shock,” DCP (East) N Satheesh Kumar told Deccan Herald. “We are yet to question them.”

The incident occurred at 12.10 pm when Manjula was riding to a pre-school on her two-wheeler to pick her son up. Anthony followed her on a bike, stopped her at Kasturinagar and dragged her into a conversation.

But she grew suspicious about his designs before long and asked him to go away. Just then, Anthony tried to pounce on her and Manjula started running for safety. He went back to his bike, took out a dragger and went after her, the police said.

Charumathi, an eyewitness, narrated the incident to Deccan Herald: “We saw him brandishing a dragger and chasing her. Just then, she noticed the gate of a house partially open and rushed in. Some of us stood at the gate and came in his way.”

Anthony then threatened to stab himself if the by-standers didn’t move away but they didn’t budge. He also threatened to attack them, forcing them to make way. He then entered the compound and attacked Manjula on the hands, face, chest and back. She bled profusely and collapsed, Charumathi recounted.

“Anthony then shouted loudly that he would punish himself and started stabbing himself repeatedly. In no time, he too fell down and was lying in a pool of blood. We immediately contacted Chaya Super Speciality Hospital for medical help,” she said.
The hospital’s CEO, Sathyanarayan, said that they received a message at 12.20 pm about a woman being stabbed and immediately sent a ‘108’ ambulance.

“Five minutes later, we received another call about a man stabbing himself. We sent the same ambulance after Manjula was brought to the hospital,” he said.

A team of eight expert doctors attended on her while Anthony was taken to the Bowring Hospital for further treatment. Manjula has suffered massive injuries on the face, hands and back as a bigger dragger was used in the attack, Sathyanarayan added.

The police have booked Anthony for attempt to murder and attempt to commit suicide under Sections 307 and 309 respectively of the IPC.
DH News Service