In a troubling case from south Bengaluru, police apprehended a 36-year-old man accused of assaulting his former tenant, a young woman, after she spurned his romantic advances.

The suspect, identified as Srikanth from Kamalanagar in west Bengaluru, allegedly tailed the 21-year-old woman and her male companion for nearly a kilometre, right up to the Devegowda petrol bunk, before launching an attack on April 9. Srikanth, reportedly armed with a knife, slapped the woman, police sources confirmed.

Investigations found that Srikanth was familiar with the woman, as her family had rented a house from him for about eight years. Recently, Srikanth had confessed his feelings, but even after multiple rejections, he persisted in bothering her.

The woman, a final-year college student, eventually informed her family about his harassment. Her family, in turn, alerted Srikanth’s wife — to whom he had been married for over six years — and quickly vacated the premises, relocating to Kurubarahalli.

However, fate crossed their paths again. Spotting her with another man enraged Srikanth, who followed and assaulted both individuals, brandishing the knife he carried.

Following the woman’s police complaint, authorities booked Srikanth under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) related to attempted murder and placed him under arrest.

The shocking incident has raised renewed concerns over the safety of women and the dangers of obsessive behaviour left unchecked.