A 23-year-old woman was stabbed by a stalker at the Dharmapuri town bus stand on Tuesday evening (July 7, 2026) before she was rescued by the onlookers.

According to the police, Sheela of Thengaimarathupatti village in A. Jettihalli panchayat was intercepted by Chinnasamy (31), who had been stalking Sheela for a long time. On Tuesday, Chinnasamy had intercepted Sheela, who was returning from work, and asked her to marry him.

After Sheela rejected his overtures, Chinnasamy took out a knife and stabbed her in the neck and other areas. She was rescued by the onlookers and rushed to Government Medical College Hospital with critical injuries, and was later transferred to private hospital in Bengaluru, where she is under treatment. The public assaulted Chinnasamy before handing him over to the police.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) condemned the attack, and said that the Singapenn Special Force (SSF) purported to protect women in public places should be strengthened with additional police force. The party has also condemned the rising incidents of crimes against women and children and has demanded the most stringent punishment for the accused.

Published - July 08, 2026 07:31 pm IST