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Man allegedly extorted by Bengaluru police in shocking midnight ordeal, FIR denied
The ordeal of this man who appears to not wish to be identified was posted on the X handle of St.Broseph.
In a disturbing case that raises serious questions about police misconduct in Bengaluru, a partially disabled man was allegedly extorted by two police officers near a popular Indiranagar pub this past weekend. Despite doing nothing wrong, the man was illegally searched, intimidated, and forced to pay a bribe of ₹37,000 after being falsely threatened with non-bailable drug charges.
The ordeal of this man who appears to not wish to be indemnified was posted on the X handle of St.Broseph. Many X users tagged Bengaluru City Police seeking action as no FIR was filed despite approaching the cops.
The incident occurred around midnight on 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar. The victim, a Kannadiga fluent in Kannada, had stepped out after dinner and a few drinks and was booking an auto home when two police officers on a motorbike stopped him. They alleged to have forcibly searched his bag and pockets without consent and even made him unlock his phone to check WhatsApp chats. Nothing incriminating was found.
Instead of letting him go, the officers escalated the situation—threatening him with a drug test and claiming he could be jailed for life if any trace of drugs was found in his system, even from the past. Terrified, especially after losing his father recently and dealing with his disability, the man was taken on a triple ride—illegal and without helmets—to a deserted alley.
There, the officers demanded to see his bank account balances. Finding only ₹40,000 in total, they pressured him to call a friend—without disclosing he was in police custody—and extorted a total of ₹37,000 after driving him to multiple ATMs.
The victim later sought help from a civil society group, which filed a complaint and identified one officer through a photograph posted online. The Joint Commissioner of Police (East) directed that an FIR be filed. However, the police station refused, stating only a departmental enquiry would proceed.
Even more troubling, the victim and the activist received intimidating calls from individuals claiming political ties to the accused officer, urging them to drop the matter and hinting at consequences for their NGO.