Bengaluru, 26 Sept

Two people have been arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman in public for stealing a bundle of sarees kept outside a shop in the city, police said on Friday.

The incident occurred on Avenue Road in Chickpet on 21 September and was recorded by a shopkeeper on his mobile phone. The video, uploaded on social media, soon went viral, they said.

According to police, Umedram, 44, and his employee Mahendra Seervi, 25, were arrested and remanded to judicial custody for assaulting the woman, a native of Andhra Pradesh, outside their shop.

A senior police officer said preliminary investigation revealed the woman, a habitual offender, allegedly stole a bundle of sarees left unattended outside the shop on 20 September. After inquiries and reviewing CCTV footage, the shopkeeper identified her and kept a watch until she was caught the next day.

The accused allegedly kicked, punched, dragged, and humiliated her before handing her to the police. Based on the shop owner’s complaint, she too was arrested for theft, while a separate case of assault and outraging modesty was registered against the accused.