The Bengaluru Police say the incident occurred on the night of October 9 in Electronics City near Hebbagodi. The accused, identified as Tarun Chaudhury, forcibly entered the parlour following a dispute over parking, attacked the shop owner and his wife, and vandalised the premises. CCTV footage shows him physically assaulting his own bodyguards when they attempted to restrain him. He has been booked under several sections including voluntarily causing hurt, criminal intimidation, and assault on a woman with intent to outrage modesty. The police have taken him into custody, and further remand proceedings are underway.
Eyewitnesses and local residents say the incident escalated from a routine disagreement over a milk van being parked in front of the shop. The shop owner, Gopal H. V., in his complaint, alleges that Chaudhury demanded removal of the vehicle, verbally abused him and his wife, and, when resisted, entered the shop and began the assault. The owner’s wife, Anupa R. N., attempted to intervene and was also physically attacked. The couple’s four-year-old son was present at the time of the violence, they say. The police confirm that a licensed pistol previously deposited with the Hebbagodi station in view of his criminal background was not found during their search.
As the footage circulated widely, many social media users framed the incident as part of a larger “outsider versus Kannadiga” narrative. Some posts demanded that people from outside the state be expelled from Bengaluru, accusing them of bringing lawlessness and disrespect for local customs. Others decried the targeting of migrants, warning that such rhetoric encourages division and vigilantism.
One X user wrote: “Tarun Chaudhury, originally from Bihar, is turning Bengaluru into Jungle raj. Peaceful Kannada culture of Bengaluru is being spoiled by migrants.” Another urged that Chaudhury should be “sent back to his home state.” Countervoices emerged too, stating that criminal acts should be punished based on evidence and law, not on ethnicity or region, and warning against communalising criminal conduct.
Political leaders and local civil society figures have responded with caution. Some Kannada organisations expressed alarm at the violence and called for swift legal action, but emphasised that migrant populations too are part of Bengaluru’s workforce and social fabric. Others urged restraint in public discourse, warning that casting entire communities as culpable risks inflaming identity-based conflict. The Karnataka government has not yet issued a formal statement on the broader migrant debate triggered by this episode.
The incident comes amid sustained tensions over language, culture and local employment in Karnataka. The state has long seen nativist movements demanding priority for Kannada speakers in jobs, signage, and public policy. In recent years, Bengaluru’s rapid expansion and influx of non-Kannada speakers from other states have fuelled resentment among some locals who feel their cultural and economic space is being squeezed. At various times, proposals for local quotas and stricter regulation of migration have surfaced in political discourse, though few have been implemented comprehensively.