All arrested are teenagers; they forced victims to transfer money through UPI app

Mysuru: In a daring daylight robbery, a five-member gang assaulted two victims on Sept. 19 around 3.30 pm near a bridge at Old Kesare, next to Varuna Canal. The accused, all between 18 and 20 years old, targeted the two victims and robbed Rs. 15,000. Three of the suspects have been arrested by the Narasimharaja Police, while two remain at large.

According to the Police complaint filed by 18-year-old Rakesh, one of the victims and a resident of Naguvanahalli in Srirangapatna taluk, he and his friend R. Shreyas were heading to their native place on a scooter (KA-09-JJ-0513) that afternoon. As they approached Varuna Canal near a bridge on the way to Huda School, they stopped to relieve themselves.

Rakesh reported to the Police that at that moment, four youths approached them, followed by another on a blue scooter without a registration plate. With no one else around, the youths surrounded them and demanded money. The Police later revealed their identities as 18-year-old Syed Ryan, 19-year-old Yasin alias Thothu and 18-year-old Parvez alias Papad. All the accused are the residents of Ghousianagar. Two other accused Syed Usman and Junaid Khan are absconding.

Assault before robbing

Narrating the crime in his complaint, Rakesh told the Police that one of the attackers snatched a silver chain from his neck and took Rs. 500 from his pocket. Despite their pleas that they had no more money or valuables, the gang proceeded to assault both Rakesh and Shreyas.

After the beating, the assailants demanded that the victims transfer money via their phones. They instructed them to scan a QR code on one of the attackers’ phones to complete the transfer. When Rakesh and Shreyas explained that they had no funds in their bank accounts, the gang forced them to call friends and family to request money.

When Shreyas refused, one of the attackers assaulted him with an iron rod, prompting him to plead for mercy. The gang continued to demand that they contact family members for money, insisting they needed the cash urgently.

Rs. 15,000 through UPI payment

After Praveen, a friend of Shreyas, transferred Re. 1 via a UPI payment app to the phone number of one of the accused, the gang systematically siphoned off Rs. 8,000 and Rs. 2,000, totalling Rs. 10,001.

Later, one of the attackers forced Rakesh to call his friend Rahul, who said he couldn’t send money directly. Instead, Rahul asked his friend Sudeep to transfer Rs. 5,000 using a QR code provided by the accused.

In total, the gang managed to steal Rs. 15,000 through UPI transfers, in addition to the Rs. 500 they took from Shreyas’ pocket and the silver chain they snatched from Rakesh.

Arrests on Sept. 23

Tracking the movements of the accused and acting on tip-off from informers about their frequenting deserted areas around Kesare, Police teams successfully arrested Syed Ryan, Yasin, and Parvez on Sept. 23 near Srikanteshwara School in Ghousianagar. Two other suspects, Syed Usman and Junaid Khan, are still at large, and the Police are actively searching for them.

Authorities also seized a bike (KA-09-JJ-0513) during the operation. During interrogation, the arrested individuals confessed to having snatched two mobile phones from a person walking in K.C. Layout Park on Lalitha Mahal Road about 20 days prior. They also admitted to assaulting a man near Metagalli Manti Varuna Canal and stealing his mobile phone.