Bengaluru engineer stabbed, robbed after lured through gay dating app; 4 arrested

A 27-year-old civil engineer from Bengaluru was allegedly stabbed and robbed after being lured through a dating application to an isolated area in the city. Police said the victim was attacked by a group of four men, who allegedly assaulted him with a knife and forced him to disclose his UPI password before transferring money from his bank account. Four accused have been arrested in connection with the incident.

According to the complaint filed at Yelahanka Police Station, the victim, a resident of Chikkajala, had been using the Grindr application for the past three years to socialise and connect with people. He allegedly received a call from a person he had been interacting with through the application and was asked to meet near Palanahalli Gate on Bagalur Road. After reaching the location, he was allegedly approached by four men who took him towards Jayamuni Layout near Northgate Company.

Police said the accused allegedly threatened to expose the victim’s dating app activities to his friends and family members. The group then reportedly took him to an isolated area near the Canadian School in Venkatala, where one of the accused allegedly threatened him with a knife and demanded his mobile phone and UPI credentials. Investigators said the victim was stabbed multiple times on the head, wrist, neck, waist and other parts of the body during the attack.

After the assault, the accused allegedly transferred money from the victim’s bank account to another PhonePe account before fleeing the spot. Police said approximately Rs 15,000 to Rs 16,000 was transferred during the incident. Despite severe injuries, the victim managed to contact a friend, who took him to Valence Hospital on Bagalur Main Road for treatment.

Based on the complaint, police registered a robbery case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The accused have been identified as Darshan, Sunil, Chandan and another associate. Police said one of the accused had allegedly been communicating with the victim through the dating application for several days before the attack. The investigation is currently underway.