Mysuru: After a lull of about four months, robberies and attempts to rob people on Mysuru-Bengaluru National Highway-275, particularly during the night and early morning hours, have resurfaced, alarming travellers. This resurgence comes despite Police assurances of 24×7 patrols and the installation of AI-powered cameras at multiple locations along the Highway.

In a shocking incident, a Mysuru family narrowly escaped an attack by miscreants attempting to rob them on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway near Mandya. The incident occurred around 1 am on the intervening night of Sept. 12 and 13.

This attack follows another robbery four months ago, when a family of five, on their way to a temple near Mandya for Ugadi on the night of April 9, was attacked and robbed by miscreants on a bike between Lambani Tandya and Devarahosahalli in Mandya.

The latest incident on Sept. 13 targeted the family of K.C. Krishnegowda, a resident of Hebbal 2nd Stage near Basavanagudi Circle in Mysuru city.

Krishnegowda, along with his wife H.M. Sudha, son K. Rohit, and driver Sunil, was returning to Mysuru after attending a wedding reception in Bengaluru on Sept. 12. They were travelling in their Maruti car, KA-09-MF-2299 when the attack took place.

As the family was travelling on the Highway at 1 am, two individuals standing on the road divider opposite Amaravathi Hotel threw an object at the window glass behind the driver’s seat, shattering it and sending glass shards inside the car.

“I had read about such incidents on this part of the Highway in newspapers, so I told Sunil to speed away without stopping, which saved us,” Krishnegowda said.

Quick escape plan?

Bright lights from shops on the other side of the Highway, opposite Amaravathi Hotel, illuminated the area. Since this location marks the start of the Mandya bypass road, Krishnegowda speculated that the miscreants might have chosen this spot for a quick escape.

Krishnegowda described the two miscreants as being about 5.9 feet tall. The family sped toward the Toll Plaza at Gananguru, hoping to find Police personnel and report the incident. Unfortunately, there were no Police officers present, so the family continued to Mysuru in fear.

Krishnegowda has not yet filed a complaint with the Police and has left the car for repairs. This incident underscores the ongoing safety issues for Highway commuters and the apparent failure of Police to curb such crimes.

Previously, there have been similar incidents on this stretch of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway, where miscreants have thrown objects at moving vehicles to break windshields and windows, then looted the occupants when they stopped.

This latest incident reveals that such criminal activities are still prevalent.