BENGALURU: A 25-year-old private college student in Electronics City Phase 1 went through a horrifying ordeal on Monday evening after three unidentified men, posing as police officers, allegedly barged into her home, threatened her with a weapon and extorted money from her. The victim, Anika, originally from Odisha, lives alone in a 1BHK flat in Neeladri Nagar with her pet cat.
Men force their way in after repeated knocking
According to her complaint to the Electronics City police, the incident took place around 7pm. Anika said she heard repeated knocking at her door, but when she asked who it was, nobody answered. Despite feeling uneasy, she opened the door, following which three men forced their way in and immediately ordered her to remain silent. Claiming to be police officers, they allegedly threatened her with what appeared to be a knife and warned that they would stab her if she called for help.
Intruders search for cash and valuables
The men ransacked her home in search of valuables but could not find anything substantial. They pressured her repeatedly to reveal where she kept cash. When Anika insisted she had no money at home, the intruders attempted to snatch the gold jewellery she was wearing but were unsuccessful. At one point, one of them allegedly held a knife to her pet cat’s neck, demanding that she hand over cash. Terrified, Anika pleaded with them not to harm her cat and again stated that she had no cash.
The gang then forced her to open her digital payments application and transfer money to a UPI ID. At approximately 7:25pm, she transferred Rs 5,100. Even after receiving the amount, the men continued to harass her and demanded more. When they found nothing further to take, they pushed her to the floor, shut the door behind them and fled.
Police raise questions over possible drug presence
After the men escaped, Anika alerted her neighbours and contacted the police. A senior police officer said that upon arriving at her residence, officers detected a smell of ganja smoke in the house. However, the complainant did not mention anything about the intruders smoking inside. When questioned about the odour, she did not give a clear explanation, the officer said.
Police also noted that there is a window near the main door, which Anika did not use to check who was knocking. Officers said that the building’s CCTV cameras had been out of service for a long time, making identification of the suspects more difficult.
Case registered; UPI trail under investigation
Police are currently gathering details related to the UPI ID to which the money was transferred and are working to identify and apprehend the three suspects. A case has been registered under Sections 74 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage modesty), 308 (extortion), 329 (criminal trespass and house-trespass) and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Authorities said tracking digital payment trails has proved helpful in similar cases in the past and expressed confidence that the suspects would be traced. Meanwhile, they advised residents in the area to ensure that their building surveillance systems are functional and to verify unknown visitors through peepholes, windows or security personnel before opening doors.
Conclusion
The incident has sparked concern among residents of Neeladri Nagar, especially women living alone. Police have urged the public to remain cautious, report suspicious activity immediately and refrain from opening doors to unknown persons without verification. The investigation is ongoing, and officers expect breakthroughs as they follow the UPI payment trail and examine other leads.