Indiranagar stabbings: Residents, vendors on edge; terrified shop owners down shutters early

Bengaluru: Following multiple stabbings in Indiranagar on Saturday night, residents and shopkeepers have been gripped by fear.

When DH visited the area on Monday, the anxiety was evident. 

Manoj Singh, a paan vendor near Kund Indian Barbeque Hotel on 100 Feet Road, described the night as the most terrifying in his 28 years in Bengaluru. 

“I saw a poor pani puri vendor slashed in the throat for no reason — no argument, no provocation. Everything was fine, and then he was attacked,” he said.

The incident occurred around 9.30 pm, and since then, the pani puri stall and two nearby stalls selling chicken and momos have shut down. Manoj pointed out the place on the footpath with bloodstains after the attack.

Nearby, Vijay Gowda, a dosa vendor near Mi Home, said he had not realised his pani puri vendor neighbour had been stabbed amid the evening rush of customers. “Had he told me, I would have tried to stop the attacker from escaping,” he said.

The violence has forced some vendors to shut shop.

A tender coconut seller has stopped business out of fear, and a woman selling tea and coffee was seen packing up by 6 pm, much earlier than usual.

Resident and citizen activist Sneha Nandihal said Indiranagar has been a relatively safe locality, but the incident has exposed systemic issues like over-commercialisation in the area.

Despite the brutal attacks, many shopkeepers and residents only learned about them the next day through social media. While some vendors confirmed four stabbings, many declined to comment out of fear.