BENGALURU: Parents in Thyagarajanagar claimed that 35-year-old former gym trainer Ranjan M, also known as Ranjith, had recently targeted several children in the locality. According to them, he tried to hit a girl with his bike, pulled the hair of a boy riding a bicycle, and even followed another girl the next day, striking her with his elbow. “We have collected footage and handed it over to the police,” said one parent.The most serious incident occurred on December 14, when a five-year-old boy visiting his maternal uncle’s house in Doddamavalli near Lalbagh was kicked by Ranjan while playing badminton with other children on Old Post Office Road. The boy sustained an injury above his eyebrow along with scratches on his hands and feet and was taken to a hospital for treatment. The child’s mother filed a police complaint the same day, alleging that the assault was intentional. CCTV footage, she said, corroborated the incident.A senior police officer confirmed that Ranjan appears to be mentally unstable and is undergoing psychiatric treatment. “During interrogation, he confessed to having assaulted several children, claiming that he felt distracted and agitated by the children shouting and playing on the road,” the officer said. Ranjan, who is unmarried and resides locally, has no previous criminal record. He was arrested but later released on station bail. His parents have reportedly taken him to Madurai for further treatment. Police said they are continuing to collect his medical records and assessing the situation to prevent further incidents, urging parents to remain vigilant.
