Couple fights off muggers targeting passersby in Karnataka

BENGALURU: A car-borne techie sustained 20 stab injuries while bravely fighting off two robbers targeting passersby near Hebbal flyover on Monday morning. While he was being attacked, his wife, sitting next to him, hit the accelerator and rammed the motorbike of the muggers who fled the spot immediately.
Ganesh and Smitha (names changed on request), in their late 20s, were driving towards Chikkamagaluru when they spotted the men beating up two persons and snatching their valuables at knifepoint around 5am.
Ganesh was just 20 feet away when he noticed them. He immediately realised that he had to help the duo who were being attacked.
“Smitha and I raised an alarm. Hearing our shouts, the muggers turned their bike towards us and parked in front of our car. The rider sat on the bike, while the man on the pillion, wielding a long knife, came near my door. Suddenly, he thrust his hand into the car and tried to snatch the keys. I tried to stop him and he hit my face with the knife. But I latched on to his hand and he continued attacking my face, neck, and right hand with the knife,” Ganesh told TOI from his bed in a Hebbal hospital.
The two men who had been robbed of their mobile phones and wallets only a few minutes earlier watched on helplessly. Smitha however sensed danger and acted fast. “My husband had a gold chain and I thought the mugger would target it. Thrusting my legs, I pressed the clutch, shifted the gear, and pressed the accelerator hard. The car quickly rammed the motorbike and the mugger, sitting on it, fell down and ran away. By then, the other two victims came running towards the car. Sensing he was alone and would be caught, the other mugger too ran away leaving their bike behind,” Smitha said.
Ganesh was immediately taken to a private hospital near the flyover where the staff shifted him to ICU. “I thank the hospital staff for immediately admitting him. If they had made us wait citing Covid -19 issues, he would have lost more blood,” Smitha said.
The couple explained the incident to the hospital staff and the latter informed Kodigehalli police. The couple reside in Jakkur and are employees of a software company in Whitefield.
“We appreciate the brave act of the young couple. Most of the time, people run away on seeing such incidents. But they risked their lives and helped the victims,” a police officer said, adding: “We’ve seized the bike of the robbers and will nab them soon.”