Man attacks 4 with knife on city roads
A knife-wielding man attacked four people in Bengaluru's Indiranagar, injuring street food vendors. The suspect, Kadamba, is a known criminal.
A knife-wielding man attacked and injured four people, including two street food vendors, at Indiranagar in Bengaluru on Saturday night, police officers aware of the matter said on Monday, adding that they have identified the accused and efforts are on to track him down.
All victims sustained injuries, but currently they are out of danger, they added.
Deputy commissioner of police (Bengaluru East) D Devaraj said, “The suspect has been identified as Kadamba, who is known in police records as a mobile phone thief and drunkard. He committed the attacks in an inebriated condition. He is a resident of the Byappanahalli slum (near Indiranagar) and was last seen in Hoskote (in rural Bengaluru).”
The first attack took place at 9.30pm. A man with a knife in his hand confronted 19-year-old Jaswanth, who was riding a scooter to fetch drinking water. The accused allegedly forcefully got on his scooter and told him to move. When Jaswanth refused to take a right turn as directed, the accused allegedly slashed his throat and ran away, police said.
Ten minutes later, the accused approached Deepak Kumar Verma, 24, a roadside pani puri vendor. He asked him for pani puri and Deepak said it was over and he was closing the stall. When Verma informed him that only pani puri was available, the man lingered before allegedly hurling abuses in Kannada, Tamil, and Hindi.
Once the other customers left, he pulled out a knife and slashed Verma’s neck. The attacker was described as having a wheatish complexion and wearing a red shirt and white trousers.
Ten minutes later, about 800 metres away, another vendor, Tammaiah M, 44, who sells chaat near a phone store on 100 Feet Road, was attacked. According to the police complaint, the suspect ordered pani puri, but then refused to pay in cash and demanded a UPI scanner. When the scanner was handed over to him, he claimed that he could not pay ₹30, started an argument, and then pulled out a knife, slashing the vendor’s face before running away.
The fourth incident occurred around 2.30am near the Lono pub on 80 Feet Road. A bike taxi rider, Adil Aamirsab, 24, was reportedly stopped by the accused who asked for a ride to Krishnarajapuram railway station. When Aamirsab declined, saying he was headed home to Magadi Road, the attacker allegedly brandished a knife and slashed his neck and fingers. The assailant then stole the victim’s scooter and mobile phone.
Following the attacks, messages spread rapidly across social media and WhatsApp groups, warning of a serial killer in the area and urging people to remain cautious. The claim caused widespread fear, prompting police to issue a clarification. “There is no serial killer on the loose,” officials said, identifying the attacker as Kadamba, a habitual criminal at Indiranagar police station. Four special teams have been formed to track him down. “A total of four people were stabbed by the man. We have registered four FIRs. We have identified him. Efforts are on to track him down,” said a senior police official.
The Indiranagar police registered four FIRs regarding these attacks. CCTV footage helped investigators identify the attacker as Kadamba, a known criminal and resident of Jogupalya. A senior police official noted, “A case was registered against him in May 2024, and preventive actions had also been initiated against him. He has a total of six cases pending — one of burglary, two of assault, and three robbery cases. He has a history of mobile robbery after alcohol consumption. He has a habit of picking petty quarrels with neighbours over trivial reasons.”
Efforts to apprehend Kadamba are ongoing, with special police teams searching Bengaluru and nearby areas.
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