This CCTV footage, from Tuesday, shows police constable Dodda Lingaiah, dressed in plainclothes, grabbing the suspect at a junction in Sadashiva Nagar.
Credit: Bengaluru Police
Bengaluru: In a dramatic chase straight out of a movie, a Tumakuru district policeman captured a suspect, wanted in over 40 cases, by leaping onto his scooter and refusing to let go at a busy junction during peak-hour traffic in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
CCTV footage of the high-stakes encounter that unfolded at a bustling junction in Sadashiva Nagar went viral on social media.
The footage, reviewed by Deccan Herald, shows Dodda Lingaiah, a constable at the Koratagere police station, dressed in plainclothes and stealthily approaching the suspect, Manjesh, also known as Hotte Manja, as he arrived at the traffic signal on his white scooter.
Realising that he was cornered, Manja attempted to flee, but Lingaiah grabbed onto the scooter and was dragged several meters as the suspect tried to speed away.
Traffic policemen from Bengaluru, who were managing the junction and initially unaware of the unfolding drama, quickly responded and caught up with the duo, with the help of a few passersby. Manja was then taken into custody.
A police officer from Tumakuru explained that Manja had been involved in thefts across multiple districts in the state and had been on the police radar for some time.
"Four cases against Manja were pending at the Koratagere police station," the officer said, adding that the operation took nearly a month of planning, with Lingaiah staying in constant contact with Bengaluru police's Command Centre to track the suspect.
Lingaiah, who has served at the Koratagere police station for the past five years, previously worked with the Indian Army Corps of Signals, bringing his military experience to his policing duties.