Bengaluru Man Chased By Dogs, Ends Up Being Suspected Of Theft

A man working as a software engineer in Bengaluru was chased by dogs late at night in HSR Layout, only to be accused of being a thief.

In a Reddit post, the victim said the harrowing episode had left him shaken. "I was in a life-threatening situation with dogs chasing me, but instead of empathy, I got treated like a criminal," he wrote.

The techie explained he was walking home at around 11.02 pm, when a group of stray dogs suddenly started chasing him. He ran but was stuck behind a car.

He had two choices: to jump over the car or jump the gate of the building behind him. Seeking safety, he jumped over the gate and landed inside a residential compound.

Within seconds, three residents, a man in his 60s, his wife and a woman believed to be their daughter, confronted him. He said he immediately apologised and told them that he was being chased by dogs and had no other option but to jump the gate to escape the stray animals. 

The residents, he said, didn't believe him. "Even if dogs were chasing you, why trespass? We don't care about your situation," the man was told.

The techie claimed he showed his documents, including PAN number, Aadhaar number, address, and even his Darwinbox profile to prove that he was a software engineer working in Bengaluru.

The man claimed the residents didn't believe him, accused him of theft and confiscated his phone. They said they would return it the next morning, only after verifying his story. He said he repeatedly asked them to check the CCTV footage to verify his story or call the police.

"They refused both. For almost 30 minutes, they kept my phone while I stood there feeling completely helpless," he wrote, adding, "Finally, they called their neighbour to check the CCTV. The neighbour confirmed my story, and only then did the old man return my phone. I thanked the neighbour and left," he mentioned.

The man then cited Section 81 and Section 97 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that allow individuals to enter private property without permission when escaping immediate danger. He also noted that confiscating his phone without police involvement could be considered wrongful confinement of property under Section 403 of the IPC.