‘Thought it was my friend’: Bank employee attacked, stripped, extorted in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: When the doorbell rang at her co-living paying guest (PG) accommodation in Whitefield at 3am on Sept 16, she thought it was her friend. But what followed was sheer horror - a man known to her barged in, sexually assaulted and extorted her.Rithu (name changed), 24, a private bank employee, told police she thought it was a friend ringing the bell and opened the door. But Sai Babu Chennuru, 37, who resides in the same PG accommodation, barged in, locked the door from inside, pulled out a knife and attacked her, she said.Rithu said she collapsed after being stabbed on the left side of her back. The accused then stripped her, clicked photos on his mobile, kissed and forced himself on her.

When she resisted, he threatened to kill both her and himself. He demanded Rs 70,000, and when she pleaded she did not have so much money, Sai transferred Rs 14,000 from her digital wallet to his account. He warned her against disclosing the assault, threatening to leak her photos to family and friends.Rithu managed to alert a friend and was admitted to a hospital at 7am. Based on her complaint, police booked Sai on charges of attempt to murder, outraging the modesty of a woman, sexual harassment and extortion.

Meanwhile, Sai filed a counter-complaint on Sept 17. The Andhra Pradesh native claimed he had been in love with Rithu for two months and that their quarrel triggered the chain of events. He alleged that when he returned to the PG late on Sept 16, two staffers and three others confined him to a room and thrashed him.Both cases have been registered. According to police, preliminary investigations revealed that the two knew each other for a couple of months. "Sai has been arrested and further investigation is in progress," a senior police officer said.