Bengaluru: Minutes after celebrating his birthday, an off-duty police head constable was allegedly stabbed on a dimly lit stretch of Jayamahal Main Road, leaving investigators to piece together conflicting accounts of what transpired that night.Vijay Rathod, a head constable attached to DJ Halli police station, was allegedly attacked with a dagger near the TV Tower Friday night after celebrating his birthday with friends. While Rathod maintains he was assaulted after intervening to protect a woman from harassment or an attempted robbery, investigators say several aspects of the incident are still being verified.Rathod, who lives at the Anand Rao Circle police quarters, is undergoing treatment and is out of danger.Constable’s accountAccording to Rathod’s complaint, he was returning home on his motorcycle after the birthday gathering when he noticed a man following a woman travelling along the same road. Though off duty and outside his police station’s jurisdiction, Rathod said he confronted the man, warned him that he was with the police department, and questioned why he was harassing the woman. The suspect allegedly fled, after which the woman also left the spot.Rathod claimed that as he continued his journey and stopped near the TV Tower, the same man returned and attacked him with a dagger, injuring his head and hand before fleeing. He alerted fellow police personnel, who shifted him to hospital.RT Nagar police, who have registered a case and begun examining CCTV footage and other evidence, are looking into multiple angles. DCP (north) Babasab Nemagoud told TOI the FIR was registered based on Rathod’s statement and the exact sequence of events would become clear only after the suspect’s questioning.According to police sources, one suspect has been secured and is being interrogated. Officers are also verifying his criminal antecedents, particularly because he was alleged to be carrying a weapon.Investigators, however, said CCTV footage from the area where the assault occurred did not show the presence of any woman at the location, prompting them to examine alternative possibilities.Area was under watchThe incident assumes significance because, on the same night, teams from Central Crime Branch (CCB) police were conducting a special drive in the locality to monitor rowdy elements and prevent crime. Police said further clarity is expected once the suspect is questioned and additional evidence, including CCTV footage, is analysed.
