Bengaluru, February 26 A 32-year-old man from Rajasthan, who traveled to Bengaluru to retrieve his missing SUV, was allegedly assaulted and robbed, police said on Thursday.
The victim, Chandra Prakash, a resident of Jodhpur, had lent his SUV to his friend Mahendra Gujjar over a year ago, with the understanding that it would be returned within a few weeks, they said.
When the vehicle was not returned, he filed a complaint with the local police in Jodhpur last year, but no progress was made.
According to police, Prakash then allegedly used a mobile application to track his vehicle's location and discovered that it was being driven in Bengaluru. On February 23, he reached the city with a spare key, located the SUV parked by the roadside in east Bengaluru, and drove it away after unlocking it.
Around 11:10 pm, as he approached the Bommanahalli Circle, three men on a motorcycle intercepted him. When he questioned them, an argument ensued, and the trio allegedly assaulted him with an iron rod and a helmet, a senior police officer said.
The accused allegedly stole two mobile phones and fled with the SUV. Prakash sustained injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment, he said.
Based on his complaint, Mangilal Choudary (40), a businessman from Rajasthan, was arrested in connection with the incident, police said, adding that efforts are being made to apprehend the other two suspects.
During interrogation, Choudary told police that he had extended a friendly loan to an acquaintance who defaulted, and that the SUV was given as collateral, police said.
Gujjar had allegedly borrowed money from acquaintances and passed the vehicle to a friend of Choudary, who later returned it to him. The SUV and the two mobile phones have been recovered, they added.