Bengaluru: Two arrested after video of woman being harassed goes viral

Bengaluru: Following visuals of a group of four to five bike-borne youths harassing a woman and her family went viral on social media, police said they arrested two accused, including a graduate student.

The incident occurred in Madiwala Police Station limits. Another accused in the case named Kannan is absconding and the search is on for him, police added.

According to police sources, the incident unfolded on Sunday night as the woman and her husband were driving from Hosur towards the city. The accused, purportedly riding three bikes, collided with the car near the Madiwala underpass as the car driver, allegedly without indicating, made a left turn.

Amidst the exchange, the driver reportedly made a “provocative hand gesture” that further incensed the youths, prompting them to pursue the car. Sources reveal that the woman, feeling threatened by the misconduct of the youths, recorded the incident on her mobile phone.

The video, subsequently shared on microblogging platform X, elicited public outrage and demands for legal action. Prompted by the social media outcry, Madiwala Police conducted an operation leading to the arrest of Jagannath and Tejas. The third accused, Kannan, remains at large as police intensify efforts to locate him, police said.

Further details obtained during the investigation indicate that Jagannath worked at a call center, while Tejas was a student pursuing a BCom degree at a private college in Seshadripuram.

The accused reportedly maintained that their actions were not driven by malicious intent but rather in response to perceived provocation by the car driver.