Police traced the accused through extensive CCTV footage analysis before arresting him in Bengaluru.
A 30-year-old man has been arrested for trespassing into a women’s paying guest (PG) accommodation in BTM Layout, where he allegedly molested a tenant and robbed her at knifepoint. The accused, identified as Naresh Pattem from Madanapalle in Andhra Pradesh, was nabbed by Sudduguntepalya police after a detailed investigation. Police said Pattem, who worked as a bike-taxi driver, had earlier been jailed in two robbery cases in his hometown in 2021 and was out on bail when he shifted to Bengaluru.
The incident occurred in the early hours of August 29 between 3 am and 4 am at Laxmana Durga Ladies PG. Taking advantage of a dozing security guard and an unlocked entrance, Pattem slipped inside. He entered the room of a 21-year-old woman, who mistook him for her roommate returning from work. Moments later, she was shocked to find an unknown man with his face covered by a handkerchief. Police said Pattem touched her inappropriately and brandished a knife when she resisted. During the scuffle, he robbed her of ₹2,500 and fled, after locking another room to prevent others from intervening.
Sudduguntepalya police analysed hundreds of CCTV clips before identifying and arresting him. Footage showed the accused inside the victim’s room for nearly two minutes, during which the woman bravely resisted and chased him away. He eventually escaped through the same staircase he had used to enter. Pattem is now in custody, and further investigations are underway.