Armed assailants barge into house, rob occupants at knifepoint in Bengaluru

Bengaluru : Around three to four armed assailants barged into a house in western Bengaluru on Friday afternoon, held the occupants under duress, attacked them, and robbed them of valuables, police officers said on Saturday. 

The incident occurred between 3.40 pm and 4.20 pm. The City Market police registered a case under Section 311 (robbery, or dacoity, with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The complainant is Nagaraju Shindhe, a 27-year-old silversmith who resides near RT Street in Chickpet. Shindhe told the police that on the day of the robbery, his father, who is also a silversmith went out for a walk. When he and his mother Nitha Shindhe were alone at home, three to four assailants barged inside at around 3.40 pm.

As per the FIR, the assailants brandished a knife and a “silver-coloured gun-like item.” They then made Shindhe lock the doors and latch the windows.

Shindhe told the police that the assailants tied his and his mother’s limbs using a nylon rope and closed their mouths with black-coloured tape.

The assailants demanded in Hindi to “give them everything and hand over the keys”, as per the FIR. When they objected, the assailants allegedly used the knife to create a minor slash on Shindhe’s neck.

“When my mother panicked and yelled, they also used the knife to injure her right hand,” Shindhe alleged in his complaint. Shindhe alleged that the assailants robbed them of a chain weighing 20 grams and worth Rs 1.20 lakh, a pair of earrings weighing six grams and worth Rs 36,000 and Rs 33,000 in cash from the locker and prayer place. 

The assailants then locked the two in a washroom and fled, Shindhe told the police, who managed to untie himself shortly and raised the alarm. City Market police have launched an investigation and a manhunt is underway to trace the suspects.