A Malaysian billionaire has described the moment he was ambushed by thieves on Lime bikes in London and had his luxury watch ripped from his wrist. Vinod Sekhar, 57, was attacked as he got out of his car near his daughter's home in Battersea, southwest London, on September 27.
The tycoon was struck on the chest and thighs and left bloodied and bruised. His wife Winy fought off the attackers by swinging her bag at them. The thieves made off with his Richard Mille timepiece, which prosecutors say is worth £100,000.
At Kingston Crown Court, Djamel Benadda, 34, of Wandsworth, pleaded guilty to the robbery and other theft offences. He disputes the watch's value and is due to be sentenced later. Mr Sekhar praised police for arriving within minutes and said an officer warned him he could have been stabbed if he had resisted.
In a Facebook post, Mr Sekhar urged people to be vigilant: 'Don't wear expensive watches, carry flashy bags, or assume the streets are as safe as they look.' He added: 'A watch, a wallet, a phone — these are replaceable. Your life, your loved ones, your friends are not.'
The case highlights a rise in luxury watch thefts in London. Between January 2022 and July 2025, over 5,180 watches worth more than £3,000 were stolen in the capital, with only 59 recovered.
