Man who stopped to help ‘injured’ person, is abducted, robbed

Stopping for an injured man and his aide, who looked like they needed help, proved to be a nightmarish ordeal for a man from Banashankari. Om Kumar R ended up being abducted by a group of five men, who drove him all the way to Mandya in his car, attacked him and robbed him of Rs 15,000 and his phone.

Kumar was returning home on February 9 around 3.30 am. He had reached 23rd A cross in Banashankari 2nd stage, when he saw a man with a bandaged leg, being helped by another man, and duo seemed to be looking for help to get to the hospital. Kumar stopped the car and was speaking to them when three people appeared suddenly on a bike and one after the other forced themselves into the car. After all five got into the car, they pulled Kumar to the back seat and one of them started driving. One of the gang members had a revolver and threatened to shoot him if tried to call for help. They punched Kumar on his head and face repeatedly to make him submissive. They also beat him on his head with the revolver. Kumar sustained cut injuries to his head and face. They frisked him, but found nothing expensive. They drove up to Malavalli in Mandya and then made Kumar call his wife in Banashankari.

Kumar’s abductors spoke to his wife and told her that Kumar had met with an accident and they would need Rs 15,000 for the damage and only then would they release Kumar and his car. They told her to transfer the money into Kumar’s bank account. Soon after the money came, the robbers took Kumar’s ATM card, demanded to know the PIN and withdrew the money from an ATM.

They randomly drove the car in that area and intentionally crashed it. Then they took Kumar’s phone, his car keys and fled the spot leaving an injured Kumar in his car. Kumar got first aid at a private hospital and got first-aid after which he informed his wife and relatives who helped him out. He then approached the Banashankari police and filed a complaint, based on which the police have booked the unknown five for dacoity, kidnap for ransom, and also under appropriate sections of the Arms Act. “We have definite clues about the culprits who have some Mandya connection, and we will nab them soon,” said a senior police officer.