Gang intercepts Bengaluru hotelier, flees with scooter, Rs 1 lakh

Three unidentified men intercepted the scooter of a 40-year-old hotelier and stole Rs 1 lakh cash stowed in the vehicle in Devarachikkanahalli on December 15 late night.

Kumaraswamy Layout resident Harish K Poojary, who runs Bidadi Thatte Idli in Maruthi Layout in Hongasandra on Begur Road, stowed more than Rs 1 lakh in the storage box of his Honda Dio scooter after closing his eatery. He was riding home.

On Devarachikkanahalli Main Road, three men on a scooter rammed Poojary’s vehicle from the rear around 11 pm. When Poojary tried balancing his vehicle, one of them pushed him hard. Poojary fell on to the road. One of the pillion riders on the other vehicle brandished a lethal weapon and rode off on Poojary’s scooter. All the three men were armed and had their faces covered.

Poojary called 112, narrated the incident to the Hoysala police team that showed up and headed home with his friend Venkatesh. He filed a complaint the next morning. Poojary said his attackers noticed him stowing the cash in the scooter’s safe box.

“Shopkeepers near our hotel said they watched me for more than half-an-hour and followed me,” he said. “The CCTV cameras also captured the video of the criminals following me.”

Rather than booking it as a robbery, police registered a theft case. While registering the FIR, police mentioned that the trio began arguing with Poojary after ramming his scooter. As Poojary was calling his friend, the trio had fled with his scooter.

Why not a robbery case?

Robbery cases are considered serious offences and are investigated within a deadline. They are also followed up promptly. Registering such cases as theft only helps criminals secure bail easily even in a couple of days.

Punishment for robbery under IPC Section 394 is 10 years or life imprisonment, but the case registered as theft under IPC Section 379 is only three years.