‘Speak in Kannada’: Bengaluru helpline ignores Spaniard’s plea for help

A Spaniard living in central Bengaluru faced some harrowing hours early on Wednesday (January 15), with two burglars first breaking into his flat in Richmond Town and then the operator at the emergency number 112 reportedly refusing to help him demanding that he speak in Kannada.

Jesus Abrielle, in his mid-30s, lives in the Nydus apartment complex on Langford Road. Around 2 am, the burglars broke in through the bathroom window after removing its louvered glass panels, The Times of India reported.

Abrielle heard noises and immediately called emergency helpline 112. However, his attempt to report the incident in broken English and Spanish was met with a demand to speak in Kannada. His call was then unceremoniously disconnected without assistance.

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Burglars spent 30 minutes in flat

Fearing an attack, Abrielle reportedly confined himself to his bedroom while the burglars spent approximately 30 minutes in the flat. They left through a sliding window, stealing items worth Rs 82,000, including a laptop, a platinum ring, headphones, a wallet containing Rs 10,000, debit cards, and his Spanish ID. Despite their search, they overlooked other valuables, including cash, a jacket, and a suit.

Traumatised, Abrielle remained in his room for nearly six hours without contacting anyone else. Finally, at 8.30 am, he called up his landlord, Sudeep, who rushed to the flat at once.

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No CCTV surveillance

The apartment lacks CCTV surveillance, and the on-duty security guard did not notice the incident. The location of the flat, at the dead end of the complex, cut off any sound of the break-in. Police suspect construction workers from nearby sites may have been involved and are reviewing CCTV footage from adjacent buildings and roads.

A case has been filed under sections 305 and 331 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for theft and housebreaking.

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Emergency helpline issues

According to the TOI report, police claimed the helpline receives 15,000–20,000 calls daily, of which only 1,500 are genuine. They explained the operator may have taken the broken Spanish and English speech as a prank or drunken call. However, protocol requires operators to call back and verify every situation, which appears to have been overlooked in this case.

Abrielle’s ordeal shows the critical need for multilingual support in emergency services, especially in a cosmopolitan city like Bengaluru.