Bengaluru Saree Store Owner, Assistant Arrested After Woman Suspected of Theft Dies in Custody

A shocking incident in Bengaluru has led to the arrest of a saree store owner and his assistant, following the tragic death of a woman who was allegedly assaulted after being suspected of shoplifting. The unidentified woman, who was initially apprehended by store staff, later succumbed while in police custody, prompting a swift and serious investigation by Bengaluru authorities.

The events unfolded at a prominent saree store in Gandhinagar.

According to preliminary reports, the woman was accused by store personnel of attempting to shoplift. Following this accusation, store owner Vinay and his assistant, Lokesh, reportedly confronted and allegedly assaulted her. Witnesses or CCTV footage may shed more light on the exact nature of this confrontation.

Police were called to the scene, and the woman was taken into custody.

However, the situation took a grim turn when she died while in police care. This development has raised critical questions and intensified the focus on both the alleged assault by the store staff and the circumstances surrounding her death in custody.

In response to the escalating seriousness of the case, police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) and have arrested both Vinay and Lokesh.

They face charges under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). The police are meticulously investigating the sequence of events that led to the woman's demise.

A crucial point of contention lies in the differing accounts.

While the woman was reportedly assaulted, the store owner, Vinay, has offered an alternative explanation to the police. He claims that the woman fell and sustained injuries while attempting to flee the store, suggesting her death was accidental rather than a direct result of an intentional assault. This claim will undoubtedly be a central focus of the ongoing investigation.

Authorities are now working to piece together the truth, examining CCTV footage from the store and surrounding areas, interviewing potential witnesses, and awaiting post-mortem examination results to determine the exact cause of death.

The case highlights the severe consequences of alleged vigilantism and the critical importance of due process in law enforcement, especially when a life is tragically lost.