Alert man helps nab intruder

Terror visited Brigade Millennium, a posh apartment complex in J P Nagar VII Phase, when an armed intruder attempted to rob a resident after forcing his way into an apartment on Thursday morning.

Pradeep, the quick-thinking man who nabbed the intruder, said, "I was on a call with a customer in Singapore. I was alone at home as my wife had gone to drop our child to school at 8.45 am. I thought it was the maid and opened the door. The man outside just shoved me aside and tried to get in. I pushed him away and he ran out. I picked up my flat keys and phone and chased him. I found him hiding an isle across my apartment. He had a chrome-plated knife that looked like a sickle. I hit him blindly. My neighbour Wng Commander Ashok joined me and we incapacitated him. We called the Hulimavu police and they arrested him."

The intruder had reportedly rung the doorbells of two apartments in the same block but the women had refused to open the door.

According to DCP Soumendu Mukherjee, the intruder has been identified as Ramanjaneya, a resident of Hulimavu who has several cases of extortion against him.

"He told us that he was taking shelter on the roof of the building. We have detained him to see if he is involved in the murder of three women in Jayanagar IV T Block," he said.

Ramanjeya, who had done a recee a few days before, spent Wednesday night on the 14th floor of the Magnolia Block and watched the movements of the residents.

Residents of the sprawling five-block apartment complex, most of whom are techies and NRIs, said the incident had shaken them up badly as it came close on the heels of brutal murders in the neighbouring locality of Jayanagar.

"We assumed we were safer in an apartment than in an independent house. We are shocked by the fact that the intruder managed to get past the security guards. In these recession-hit times, crime is sure to soar," said Pradeep.
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A spokesperson of Brigade Group said every apartment block was being managed by a residents' association. "They handle issues such as security as well," he added.

According to the residents of the apartment complex, floor-to-floor patrolling has been initiated and strict screening of all visitors is being done. "I call the security guards even at midnight to make sure that they are not lax," says Pradeep.

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