[acroback]

Short description of the story.

Careless speeding two wheeler falls near my wife's car and falls down. Minor scratches to occupants. Seeing car being driven by a lonely woman, calls up his friends and accomplices (including 2 ladies) and start mis-behaving, abusing and threatening.

Wants money for his medical expense, which is more like forced expense. A useless X-ray, a forced tetanus, doctor consultation fees etc Cost 2100+600.

Where am I? I am at home in Kadugodi with my twin toddlers, hence cannot go there and feeling enraged and useless.

They bring damaged bike and snag 3K for a bike repair, incidentally car had nil damage. I do not know how on earth did the bike get so much damage. From the account of my wife's experience the car did not get hit. They
just happen to fall at speed near the car's rear.

What am I doing. Tending to my twin toddlers at home in Kadugodi. Feeling useless and enraged :(

Long Story :-

My Wife takes the right turn toward Fortis hospital Entrance at Banerghatta Road at around 4:30PM. The road is clear and she takes the entrance. She notices a speeding bike coming from her left, so she takes the car inside the gate. Her car has almost left the road when the same bike comes down near the car. Note it did not touch or smash the car.

The attached pic speaks for the impact. Please see if it is my wife's mistake of the driver's mistake. The scratch and minor dent on top are remnants of Bangalore traffic.

She went inside stopped on left and went out to see if the guy is ok. She saw the guy was ok with a scratch on his left foot. Some people helped the bike up. She assumed all is fine and went inside for her doctor appointment. She came back to parking after 3 hours and saw 2 men near her Car. The moment they saw her, they started abusing and threatening her. They claimed that they work in some Hyundai showroom
@Kalyan Nagar as electrician and will get her details and home address.

They threatened that if she does not pay up for damage caused to bike, they will come to her house and beat her up if she refuses to pay.

A lone woman and suddenly 2 men show their true colors. She said it was not her mistake as the bike was speeding and it hit her from the back, not even hit . This drove them mad and they started kicking the car and
threatening to damage the vehicle.

Finally, my wife said she does not want to talk here, why don't you call the police. When police will come she'll come down. They reply - "Madam, if you call the police I will go to jail today, but tomorrow when I am free, I will search you. I work in Hyundai showroom in Kalyan Nagar and will find your address from showroom.I will come to your house and I will take revenge via bodily harm to you." They also threatend to drop her from the roof of the parking if she refuses to pay up. In the meantime 2 ladies come up to parking with a new guy.

They warn my wife with dire consequences if she does not allow one of them to sit in the car while wife drives down from parking area. My wife refused and broke down. Seeing this, the head of security came and told them to go down. Head of so called fortis security says categorically - "Madam, take it out. This is not our business, once you are out of Hospital we do not care what happens to you".

My wife called 100 (police number). 100 never went through and Hulimavu police station flatly refused to help. I tried a lot of numbers too...scavenged via Internet but no help.

Finally called up my colleague who sent his wife's friend to help her. One of my friends also went to the hospital.

In the meantime she had no way out looking at the crowd those 2 people had gathered to harass her. They said that call Police, we all will testify that mistake was my wife's, though none of them were present during the mishap. What a courageous family.

She was under undue stress and decided to pay up to get out of the mess. Finally she paid the amount I have mentioned before. Couple of well wishes reached there and managed to get her out by paying.

Now I have few questions :-

1. Why is Police not interested in helping a woman call in distress?
Can someone please explain what is required to get help from police?
Do these people need a murder or a rape or an accident before moving to help a lone woman.

2. Why don't emergency numbers work in Bangalore?

3. Can you people actually help knowing enough details.

Name of 2 patients :-

Syed Mubarak
Shamsheer Khan

Bike Number KA 05 K/X 8757. My wife is not very sure if it was K or X in middle. Apparently one of these works in Kalyan Nagar Hyundai showroom.

Now knowing it was not even an iota of my wife's fault. This is what I have done till now.

1. Sent an email to Dr Saleem, ACP traffic police Bangalore with same contents.

2. I am going to meet Fortis Management, especially the head of security and ask rationale about his behavior with my wife.

3. Let us see if anything fruitful comes out of this adventure.

[ampere]

Sad to hear this. But what I learn from this experience is:

- How quickly to find, which police station controls the locality and how quickly the guys can come (if they can?)
- Was there no traffic police guy as well?
- At least the security guy at the hospital should have helped call the police! He just wanted to wash his hands off the matter.


What seems sad is after so much of uprising across the country, these things carry very much like "business as usual"
(I mean taking advantage of people in lonely situations)

[babu.sundaram]

@acroback : does your wife know Kannada? If yes, then the trouble was half. The mental pain of this is more whatever else is! My sympathies... Anyways, take it as a lesson(this is the way Bangalore.. err.. most cities are now)!

If I were in your wife's position..
- First, refuse to take the car out (till situation diffuses at least).
- Tell the Head of Security that, any damage to car would be reported to Police.
- Tell these guys to pull off or file a case for eve teasing (and you would include the Fortis Security to be in hand with the teasing). (I think should solve it..).

I think, at least a formal complaint to Fortis mgmt about the incident (and security's attitude) is needed.

PS: Unfortunately, Bangalore (all the cities?) have rowdyism on increase. It's a mess if you don't know the vernacular especially. (I dread at the way, many two wheelers are driven, it looks almost suicidal move many a times).

[VaahanYogi]

It feels relieved to know that your wife is out of this helpless situation. This is something I wish should never happen to anybody. Pray God that you and your wife come out this horrible experience soon.

I guess this bike was planning to take a 'U' turn from the left of your car assuming your car would do the same at a speed higher than required for a 'U' turn & the rider was careless enough to anticipate the car taking a right turn and not 'U' turn.

Since the minor damage to your car is at the rear, it is clear that your wife was not at fault.

If details of these offenders are available, why not complain to the jurisdictional police station and teach them a lesson. After the Delhi incident, I believe safety of women is being prioritised by the police.

[acroback]

Krap, just confirmed with my wife.
The bike did not even touch the car. That dent and scartch is an old one.
So those scumbags harassed her to pay for their speeding adventure.

What is more starking is cold attitude of police stations in helping a lonely woman. I despise such lethargic law system in this country where common man is not safe.

I am aghast to hear words like - "Madam, you are lady that is why I am just speaking, had it been a man I would have dropped him from fith floor of this parking". What a nice way to scare the hell out of a lonely woman.

How do I feel? Don't ask. Just that next time I get into such situation, I just hope this incident doesn't act as fuel for outcome.

[Biraj]

What has happened is terrible but the good thing is that your wife is safe. You now have two options:

1. Forget about the incident and move on

2. Teach those scums a lesson. Get in touch with a lawyer friend, go to the police station and press as many charges as possible.

The behaviour of the security staff at Fortis is appalling. How can they just let a woman fend for herself when she was facing men that were anything but civilised?

[Xryder]

Please post the details with the bike registration details on Bangalore Police Facebook page and narrate the entire details.
Do not let them go scot free. Tell them the response you got from Hulimavu Police Station as well. This is the heights.

[swarnava.m]

Kindly contact someone in the media who will be interested to take up this story. After the recent upheaval in the country, you and your wife will receive a lot of support in this regard, specially considering the way the situation has unfolded. Besides, this will also make the process of pressing charges on those goons (and the security of Fortis) much easier as well as much more effective.

Please take some stringent action on this and make sure those anti-social elements do not go scot-free. The least it will do is act as a deterrent (hopefully) in future.

Wishing you and your wife all the best to come out of this trauma and take up the fight.

[Xryder]

Originally Posted by swarnava.m

Kindly contact someone in the media who will be interested to take up this story. After the recent upheaval in the country, you and your wife will receive a lot of support in this regard, specially considering the way the situation has unfolded. Besides, this will also make the process of pressing charges on those goons (and the security of Fortis) much easier as well as much more effective.

Please take some stringent action on this and make sure those anti-social elements do not go scot-free. The least it will do is act as a deterrent (hopefully) in future.

Wishing you and your wife all the best to come out of this trauma and take up the fight.

I agree. Please pursue this. I know it is a big and painful task, but then again, nothing that those goons did was justified. Even if your wife hit and killed them, there are laws to take care of that. Your wife and family does not deserve this type of harassment. Nobody does. What the security at Fortis did is even more appalling. i am surprised that even now, the mob mentality is prevalent. The cops are useless. All they do is play jurisdictional carousel !

[500ContyCruiser]

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[sansvk]

Sorry to hear about this incident.

Originally Posted by Xryder

Please post the details with the bike registration details on Bangalore Police Facebook page and narrate the entire details.
Do not let them go scot free. Tell them the response you got from Hulimavu Police Station as well. This is the heights.

I am really upset that the "100" dial never went through. Why cant the department and govenment get this emergency line fixed before jumping and contemplating law changes?

[ghodlur]

@Acroback

Relieved that your wife is safe and my sympathies that she had to go through the trauma.

One lessons learnt from this incident is that keep the nearest police station no handy or for that matter all utility services like Fire brigade, municipal corporation nos handy in the vehicle. In such cases contact the known friend who stays nearby who can rush to your help immediately. When in a crowd never argue physically.

I hope your wife will soon regain the confidence of driving through the once-so-beautiful-but-now-gone-to-dogs city.

[soonya]

Good to hear that she is safe but the experience must have shaken her.

We are such a hypocritical country full of MCP bravado. I feel ashamed.

In Karnataka you can also call 108 which is like 911 and includes Police, Fire and Ambulance.

The call center has a recording facility and all calls are recorded. The call agents will transfer the call to a police cell in the 108 call center who then gets in touch with patrol vehicles or the nearest police station.

108 is an integrated service available in AP, Karnataka and TN in south.

I have used it many times in AP, so far it is fairly effective.

[suhaas307]

Acroback

It's highly upsetting to see this unfold, especially in the parking-area / premises of a well-known hospital. These guys are nothing but extortionists and I have been at the receiving end of something similar a few years ago. I had panicked and had forgotten the basics. Your wife had the presence of mind to call the police but I didn't.

There are a few things that one must remember:

- No one is obliged to 'settle' the matter outside the Court of Law / Police Station.

- There is a reason why we have comprehensive insurance for our vehicles. We don't need to pay a dime to these hooligans.

- Buy two bottles of pepper-spray, give one to your wife and keep one with you. You will never know when it might come in handy.

- If you have a smart-phone, access the btis website and get the details of the bike and its owner. You can even find out if there are pending fines.

- Keep calm and be assertive. Show that you aren't moved by empty threats. These low-lives feed on an individual's helplessness.

All this is easier said than done. But it's important to remember that we learn from such incidents. It can happen to anyone. Anti-Social elements are by the dime and dozen these days. We must never let our guard down.

Even to this day, that incident haunts me. But I suffer in silence. I try and not think about it but there are times when it comes back to me, much to my dismay. I'm sure your wife will be going through the same thing. What she now needs is closure.

Please feel free to PM me for anything.

EDIT: Please put this incident up on the BTP Facebook page. It might help!

[venks]

Felt sad after reading about this incidence. I believe it is wrong from the part of Hulimavu police station authorities to talk about jurisdiction while responding to a distress call. During a media debate on Delhi rape incidence, Dr Kiran Bedi mentioned that it is illegal for police stations to ignore distress call stating jurisdiction limits. They need to attend to the call, register a case and then transfer it to the appropriate police station. So please take this up with higher authorities within Bangalore City Police. A FB post with the BCP FB page also would help. Also calling 108 seems like a better idea during distress.