Gym WhatsApp group dispute turns violent, six held for assaulting youth in Bengaluru's Sanjaynagar

Bengaluru: Bengaluru City Police arrested six persons in connection with the assault of a youth following a dispute in a gym WhatsApp group. The incident took place in Bengaluru's Sanjaynagar area.

The victim, identified as Ansh Thakur, is a degree student who also works part-time as a gym trainer.

According to police, Ansh had earlier trained under a private gym trainer named Iliyaz in 2023. However, the two had reportedly not been in contact for the past six months.

On May 18, an argument broke out in the gym’s WhatsApp group over bodybuilding-related discussions. During the exchange, Ansh allegedly made derogatory remarks against Iliyaz. Another trainee, identified as Matin, allegedly objected to the comments and threatened Ansh for speaking against the trainer.

On May 19, Matin and his associates allegedly came near Ansh’s house, on two two-wheelers, under the pretext of speaking with him and assaulted him. The attack was captured on nearby CCTV cameras, visuals of which have surfaced locally.

One more video which looks like a recording from a handheld device has also gone viral.

The incident also created panic among residents, who alerted the police.

Based on the CCTV footage, Sanjaynagar Police has registered a case and arrested all the accused for further investigation.