Siddarth Sethia
Kodigehalli police have arrested a 46-year-old auto-rickshaw driver for allegedly assaulting and robbing a woman passenger of a 15-gram gold bangle at knifepoint while she was travelling in his vehicle.
The accused has been identified as Alla Bakhash alias Anwar, 46,a resident of Cholanayakanahalli in Bengaluru.
Police have recovered the stolen jewellery,the knife allegedly used in the crime and the auto-rickshaw, with the total value of the seized property estimated at ₹2 lakh.
According to the complaint lodged by Jyothishree,she hired an auto-rickshaw from the Vidhana Soudha auto stand on October 15, 2026,between 4.45 pm and 5 pm, to travel home.
While proceeding towards Tumakuru Road via Hebbal flyover,the driver stopped the vehicle near the ring road in Bhadrapppa Layout,citing heavy rain.
He reportedly got down to check the engine and subsequently entered the passenger compartment.
The accused allegedly covered the woman’s mouth,hit her on the head and threatened her with a knife,warning her against raising an alarm.
He then attempted to snatch her gold chain,but the chain broke,causing an injury to her neck.
He subsequently forcibly removed a 15-gram gold bangle from her left hand and pushed her down near the seat before fleeing.
The victim managed to get down and later contacted her daughter,shared her location and arranged a vehicle to return home.
Traumatized by the incident,she initially did not approach the police.She subsequently sought medical treatment and lodged a complaint.
Based on her complaint,Kodigehalli police registered a case under Section 309(6) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
During the investigation,police examined CCTV footage and developed leads through informants.A special team traced and arrested the accused near Bengaluru Turf Club on the evening of October 27.
During interrogation,the accused allegedly confessed to the crime.He was produced before a court on October 28 and taken into seven days of police custody for further questioning.
During the investigation,he disclosed that he had sold the stolen gold bangle at a jewellery shop in Shivajinagar.
Police team subsequently recovered the 15-gram gold bangle from the shop on October 30.
The total value of the recovered gold jewellery and the autorickshaw used in the commission of the crime is estimated at ₹2 lakh.
The accused was produced before the court on October 31 and remanded to judicial custody.
The operation was carried out under the guidance of DCP Northeast,G.K.Mithun Kumar, and Yelahanka Sub-Division Assistant Commissioner of Police Manjunath H,led by Kodigehalli Police Inspector Mutturaju T.and his team,along with personnel from the DCP office’s technical wing.Further investigation is underway.
