In the early hours of Friday, a 28-year-old man in Bengaluru was targeted by a five-member gang who allegedly stole his mobile phone near Gate No. 4 of the Palace Ground, situated on Ballari Road.
The victim, identified as Rajesh Kumar Behara, a resident of Kudlu Gate, was on his way back home after a trip to Tumakuru with a friend on a two-wheeler when the incident occurred.
Police reports indicate that Behara and his friend had pulled over near Palace Ground around 2:30 a.m. due to a flat tire. While they waited for assistance to tow their vehicle, an autorickshaw carrying the suspects pulled up. The individuals inside then approached Behara, requesting his help to transfer money online, promising to repay him in cash, citing an urgent need.
Trusting their plea for an emergency, Behara agreed. However, as he was in the process of transferring the funds using his mobile phone, one of the culprits snatched his device, valued at ₹10,000. The thief then forcefully pushed Behara aside before the entire gang made their escape in the autorickshaw.
The Sadashivanagar police department has since initiated an extensive search operation to apprehend the individuals responsible for this audacious street robbery.