Businessperson Vinod assaulted and robbed in UK

Petra Group chairperson Vinod Sekhar was assaulted and robbed in the United Kingdom, leaving him bruised and bleeding.

He recounted Saturday’s ordeal in a Facebook post, saying it reminded him of “how fragile security can be and how precious life truly is”.

“After a beautiful day with my family in Oxford and an evening watching Hamilton, we drove back to my daughter Tara’s apartment near Battersea Power Station. It had been one of those rare English days - sunny, warm, full of laughter and music. London and the UK generally are our family's second home.

“But as I parked and stepped out of the car, two men suddenly appeared. They rushed at me, smothered me, hit me a few times on the chest and thighs, and tore the watch off my wrist. I tried to hold on but couldn’t - my post-transplant medication and health simply didn’t allow it,” he said.

Vinod, who is embroiled in a legal tussle back home, said his wife Winny Yeap came to his aid.

“And then, like the lioness she’s always been, my wife jumped in - swinging her bag, shouting at them, fearless and protective. At that moment, the muggers fled on electric Lime bikes. I was bruised, bleeding lightly (thanks to the blood thinners, it looked worse than it was), but relatively unscathed.

“Within minutes, the London Metropolitan Police arrived - calm, efficient, and kind. One officer said something that stayed with me: ‘You were lucky. If you’d held on, they would have stabbed you.’

“I wasn’t sure I wanted to share this. It’s still fresh. But I realise it’s important. Because we hear these stories and always think they happen to someone else,” he wrote.

‘Be vigilant’

Urging Malaysians travelling abroad to be vigilant, Vinod advised against wearing expensive watches, carrying flashy bags, or assuming the streets are as safe as they appear.

“And if something like this happens to you, let it go. A watch, a wallet, a phone - these are replaceable. Your life, your loved ones, and your friends are not.

“In that moment, none of the things mattered. Only the people around me did. My wife’s courage. My daughter’s composure. The kindness of strangers,” he said.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court is hearing a suit filed against Vinod and his wife in 2023 by 12 individuals seeking RM30 million in damages, inclusive of interest, over alleged misrepresentation, fraud, and breach of contract.

The plaintiffs claimed Vinod had persuaded them to invest their money with him or his companies without disclosing his purported bankruptcy at the time.

Witness: Investors sued Vinod for RM30m in 2023 after patience wore out

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RM30m suit: No detailed proof of misrepresentation submitted - witness

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