Bengaluru IT professional fleeing stray dogs enters residential compound, accused of theft: ‘felt completely helpless'

Indian Express

12 hours ago

A Bengaluru software engineer has shared a disturbing late-night ordeal from HSR Layout, where he says he went from fleeing stray dogs to being accused of theft.
In a post on Reddit, the man described how what began as a 'life-threatening situation' quickly spiralled into an accusation that left him 'feeling completely helpless.' While walking home one night, around 11.02 pm, he said a pack of stray dogs began chasing him. Trapped between the animals and a parked car, he had to decide between climbing over the car or jumping the gate of a nearby building. He chose the gate, landing inside a residential compound.
Almost immediately, three residents, an elderly man, his wife, and a younger woman, confronted him. Despite his apology and explanation that he had no choice but to try and escape from the dogs, the family allegedly responded, 'Even if dogs were chasing you, why trespass? We don't care about your situation.'
According to the man, he tried to prove his identity by showing his PAN and Aadhaar cards, address details, and even his Darwinbox profile to confirm that he was a local software engineer. But the family allegedly accused him of being a thief, took away his phone, and told him that they would only return it the next morning after verifying his story. He says he urged them to check CCTV footage or call the police, but they refused both.
Chased by dogs in Bangalore, jumped into a building, got treated like a thief
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For nearly 30 minutes, he claims, his phone was withheld until a neighbour was called to review the CCTV footage. The neighbour confirmed his account, after which the elderly man returned the phone. 'I thanked the neighbour and left,' he wrote.
Citing sections of the penal law that allow a person to enter private property to escape danger, the man questioned whether the family's actions were legal. He also pointed out that taking his phone without police involvement might fall under wrongful confinement of property.
Indianexpress.com could not independently verify his claims, but the post went viral, drawing a flood of reactions.
One commenter wrote, 'You first understand that a man coming into their home late at night is a serious threat to them. They have all rights to be defensive till you prove your facts. You should have asked to call the police first. You want to be understood and be treated politely in a questionable situation.'
Another said, 'The dog feeders still don't care. This guy could have died, abused in the building, harassed by the police for all they care. Dogs shouldn't be inconvenienced, of course.'
A third user added, 'Chances are that you simply ran into a cranky and highly paranoid family. Just a matter of bad luck. By and large, people of Bengaluru are quite gentle and accommodating, more so for the boomer generation or older generation.'