A knife-wielding man holds store employees hostage during a robbery bid in Bengaluru

Indiranagar Road 100 Ft. The incident took place at a shoe and bag repair shop on the 100-feet road in Indiranagar, Bengaluru on October 31, 2026. | Photo credit: Murali Kumar K

A helmeted gunman allegedly barged into a shoe and bag repair shop on a 100-feet road in Bengaluru’s Indiranagar, assaulted a 23-year-old receptionist and tried to rob her gold mangalsutra worth around ₹4.5 million on October 31.

The incident took a dramatic turn when the woman managed to free her hands and raise the alarm, attracting the attention of passers-by. She threw herself onto a busy road. In the film scene, the accused then held her hostage at knife point and threatened people who had started gathering outside, causing panic in the busy locality.

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According to the complaint filed by the woman, a resident of Domlur, she worked as a receptionist at Premium Shoe and Bag Repair for almost three years. She was alone in the store when the accused, wearing a helmet and gloves, walked in at around 11.45am

The man claimed that someone was trying to kill him and suddenly jumped over the counter in an attempt to approach the receptionist. When the woman tried to call the shop owner, the accused allegedly forced her to sit down, held her mouth and threatened to kill her if she screamed.

He then allegedly attacked her with a knife, put chewing gum on her hands and taped them to a table. He stuffed a piece of cloth into her mouth before forcibly removing her gold mangalsutra weighing around 35 grams.

An armed man holds a woman hostage during an attempted robbery in Bengaluru’s Indiranagar

An armed man holds a woman hostage during an attempted robbery in Bengaluru’s Indiranagar | Video Credit: The Hindu

However, the woman managed to free her hands and raised the alarm. When passers-by ran inside the shop, the accused grabbed the woman by her hair, pulled her aside and held a knife to her throat. He warned others not to approach him.

When the shop owner and others tried to overpower him, he threw a knife at them and attacked the owner before trying to flee with the stolen chain.

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Passers-by and traffic police personnel chased the accused and managed to nab him before handing him over to the Indiranagar police.

Police said the accused has been taken into judicial custody. Preliminary information indicates he may have mental health issues and depression, the officer said.

Published – 03 Nov 2026 15:01 IST