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A 26-year-old woman from West Bengal residing in a rented apartment in Bengaluru's Sanjay Nagar has accused her landlord's brother of assault. The woman alleges that the man, who was intoxicated, verbally abused her, slapped her, choked her, and pinned her against the wall.
The incident is said to have taken place on December 3 when she went to her apartment gate to collect a parcel. After she filed a complaint, Bengaluru police registered an FIR and apprehended the accused.
The woman claimed that her landlord's brother, Manjunath Gowda, had been harassing her for several months before the violent incident.
"On the morning of December 3, he approached me through my window, insisting I open the door and talk. When I politely refused, he seemed visibly upset," the woman detailed in her post on X.
She added, "That night, I went downstairs to hand over a parcel to a delivery person. The landlord, heavily drunk, confronted me, demanding to know why I didn't speak to him earlier. He blocked the building gate and said: Who the hell are you to show me attitude while staying in my house?"
When she ignored him, Gowda allegedly resorted to physical abuse. She stated, "He slapped me with full force, pulled my hair, and choked me on the staircase, repeatedly banging my head against the wall until I lost consciousness."
As she was trying to escape, the accused not only bit her finger but also attempted to drag her into his house.
"He tried dragging me in his house," the woman recounted.
"He also tried pulling me into his house and that's when I started screaming and I ran towards my Flat. He also followed me and stopped me midway in the staircase and started hitting me more aggressively," the woman said in her complaint, as per a report by India Today.
The woman also claimed that the man made lewd comments during the attack. "Come now, I will show you what I can do to you," he allegedly said while exposing himself. He also reportedly threatened her with, "You talk too much; I will put this in your mouth."
The woman further said that her friend, who attempted to stop the attack, was thrown down the stairs. Despite this, they managed to record part of the incident.
The ordeal didn't stop there. The next morning, Gowda was reportedly caught peering into the woman's flat through the window. When she confronted him, he allegedly threatened her again, verbally abused her, and demanded access to her apartment.
The accused returned to the victim's flat and threatened her and her friend, saying, " "I will vanish you from this earth, and even the police won't do anything to me." She added that Gowda's father was in the police and no action could be taken against him.
"His words and actions led me to strongly believe that earlier he intended to rape me and now he wants to murder me. I have hurt his male ego," she further wrote on social media.
Videos shared on X reveal severe injuries on the woman's neck, fingers, arms, and shoulders. Another dimly lit clip captures the assault, showing the woman's friend attempting to protect her as she tried to escape the scene.
The woman, who posted another video today appealing for justice, spoke about the traumatic aftermath of the attack. She accused the family of trying to tarnish her reputation by spreading false allegations and highlighted the societal judgment she faced, which fixated on her tattoos instead of addressing the crime committed against her.
In her video, she stated, "Whenever someone fights a woman, their first weapon is to destroy her character. But I believe in the fairness of the people of Karnataka. This fight is not just mine; it is for every woman who has been silenced or shamed."
She also urged people not to frame the issue as a North-South divide. Speaking a few sentences in Kannada, she emphasized that the people of the state have been kind and supportive since she moved to the city several years ago.
In her tweets, the woman further claimed that police took action only after the story gained traction on social media. The Bengaluru Police confirmed the arrest of Manjunath.
Bengaluru City Police tweeted, "We have forwarded your complaint to concerned officers for necessary action."
She further mentioned that the accused is reportedly involved in an ongoing attempt-to-murder case.
Fearing for her safety, the woman has temporarily vacated her residence while calling for justice and the return of her Rs 2 lakh deposit.
Along with her tweets and videos, she also shared a copy of the complaint she filed with the police against the landlord. The incident occurred at Planetvista Apartments in the city.
"Now, random men on scooters are loitering near my balcony, staring or standing for hours, adding to my fear. I've temporarily left for a friend's place but need to recover my Rs 2 lakh deposit and ensure the landlord is held accountable before leaving for good," she wrote.