Bengaluru: Five arrested for assaulting and robbing a software engineer twice in 20 days

The R.R. Nagar police have arrested five persons, including two women make-up artists, for allegedly assaulting and robbing a 31-year-old software engineer on two occasions within a span of 20 days.

The accused have been identified as Sumalatha alias Anjali, 28, of Annapurneshwari Nagar, Harshini alias Sweety, 26, of BHEL Layout, and their associates Jagadish, 35, Manjunath, 30, and Lokesh, 32, all residents of Vidyaranyapura.

According to the complaint, the victim received a message on December 1 from an unknown Telegram ID offering companionship and a video call through a dating platform. The woman demanded ₹20,000, which the victim agreed to pay. She later shared a location and asked him to meet her.

When the victim reached the spot, the woman took him into a house on the pretext of talking privately and allegedly asked him to undress. She then snatched ₹20,000 in cash and his mobile phone, and threatened to make his explicit video viral if he approached the police. Fearing public humiliation, the victim managed to retrieve his phone and fled, a senior police officer said.

Despite the incident, the victim was contacted again on December 20 by the same woman, this time using a different Telegram ID under the name “Sweety”, with the help of an associate. She again demanded ₹20,000 and sent a new location in R.R. Nagar.

Trusting her, the victim went to the location in the afternoon. However, as he approached the area, the woman allegedly arrived with three accomplices. The group reportedly snatched his wallet containing ₹20,000, assaulted him, and threatened him with dire consequences.

The accused allegedly demanded ₹1 lakh. The victim stated that he was dragged into a nearby building where the assault continued. He raised an alarm, following which passersby alerted the police helpline.

Police rushed to the spot and arrested all five accused immediately. The stolen cash was recovered and handed over to the victim on the spot, the officer added.

Based on the complaint, the R.R. Nagar police have registered a case under several sections related to robbery, criminal intimidation, and assault.

Further investigation is under way to ascertain whether the group has targeted other victims using a similar modus operandi.