A shocking case of public violence unfolded on Bengaluru’s Avenue Road when a woman was physically assaulted by a shopkeeper and his employee after being accused of stealing sarees from their textile store. The brutal act, captured on video by passersby, triggered widespread outrage and led to the arrest of all three involved the woman for theft and the two men for assault.

The woman, 55-year-old Hampamma, reportedly entered Maya Silk Sarees, located near Karur Vysya Bank in Chickpet, on September 20, and left with a packed bundle of 61 sarees valued at Rs 91,500. She was allegedly accompanied by a teenage boy and claimed to be browsing sarees before discreetly walking out with the bundle placed at the entrance. The store’s owner, Umed Ram (44), discovered the theft after reviewing CCTV footage later that day.

However, no police report was filed immediately. It wasn’t until the following afternoon (September 21) that Ram noticed Hampamma again near his shop reportedly wearing the same clothes as the previous day. Enraged, Ram and his assistant, Mahendra Seervi (25), confronted her.

Alleged Theft Leads to Brutal Assault

In a fit of rage, the two men dragged Hampamma outside the shop and launched a violent assault in broad daylight. Bystanders recorded the scene on mobile phones as the woman was repeatedly slapped, kicked, and beaten, even as she fell to the pavement. According to eyewitnesses, she was struck on her chest and stomach, while some tried in vain to intervene.

In one of the viral videos, Hampamma can be seen apologising to the shopkeeper and admitting, “I stole the sarees to arrange money to buy alcohol. The person who paid me took away all the sarees.”

After the attack, Ram called the emergency helpline 112, and local police arrived to detain Hampamma. She was taken to the City Market police station and booked under Section 303 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for theft. The stolen sarees were partially recovered, and she was remanded to judicial custody at Parappana Agrahara Central Prison.

At first, police action focused solely on the alleged theft, and no FIR was registered against the shopkeeper or his staff. This changed when footage of the assault went viral on Thursday, sparking backlash from citizens and activists, who accused the police of ignoring the woman’s claims of being assaulted.

Later that evening, pro-Kannada activists gathered outside Maya Silk Sarees, demanding accountability and condemning the police for inaction. They alleged that Hampamma informed the officers about the assault, but her claims were dismissed.

Reacting to the public outrage, senior police officials intervened. Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), S. Girish, stated, “Soon after the police got to know about the assault on Thursday, a case was registered against Ram and Mahendra, and they have been remanded to judicial custody.”

Second FIR Filed Against Shopkeeper

Authorities confirmed that a second FIR has now been registered against the shopkeeper and his employee. The charges include Section 74 of the BNS (assault or use of criminal force with intent to outrage a woman’s modesty) and Section 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), among other relevant provisions.

Meanwhile, questions are being raised about the initial police response. A senior official noted that the conduct of the City Market officers, especially their failure to file a case based on the woman’s assault allegation, is currently under review.

The case has ignited debates across social platforms — while the alleged theft drew condemnation, many have expressed outrage over the violent manner in which the situation was handled. Legal experts and rights groups are now calling for balanced justice that punishes both theft and vigilantism equally.