A 21-year-old woman suffered severe injuries after falling from the balcony of a fourth-floor room at a hotel in east Bengaluru’s HAL area on Sunday morning, when the police intercepted a late-night party. The injured woman is a private company employee from Kundalahalli.
Meanwhile, amid growing allegations of corruption in the Bengaluru police department, friends of the injured woman, who spoke to presspersons on Monday, have alleged that the police demanded a bribe of ₹8,000 from them after intercepting the party. However, the police have refuted the claims.
Vaishnavi and seven of her friends checked into the hotel, located in AECS Layout in HAL, around 1.30 a.m. on Sunday. They had booked three rooms for a weekend party and gathered in one room after dinner.
According to the police, the woman’s friends were playing loud music through the night until morning, prompting a neighbour to call the police helpline. “A neighbour called 112 around 5.15 a.m., complaining about loud music being played from the room. Our patrolling officers went to the room, recorded the scene as they were partying early in the morning, and asked them to disperse,” a police officer from the HAL police station told The Hindu.
The officer noted that the patrolmen had brought three of the woman’s friends to the common area to book a petty case when the alleged fall occurred.
K. Parushurama, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Whitefield, told The Hindu that they suspect the woman may have panicked on seeing the police and attempted to climb down from the balcony, leading to the incident.
“I interacted with the woman’s friends, but they did not mention any bribe demand at that time. We also checked the body camera footage worn by our officer, and it does not corroborate the claims. However, we will investigate the matter further,” Mr. Parushurama said.
However, no complaint regarding bribery has been filed by the woman’s friends. Instead, the father of the injured woman has lodged a police complaint against the hotel where she and her friends had checked in, alleging that the authorities failed to ensure adequate safety measures. He cited the absence of adequate safety grill coverage on the balcony, the police said.
An investigator told The Hindu that the hotel had been operational for only three months and lacked several clearances. The police have registered a negligence case against the hotel and are continuing their investigation.
Published – December 15, 2025 08:35 pm IST
