Chennai: Two street dogs, raised by an autorickshaw driver, helped apprehend a man after he viciously attacked a 31-year-old woman, stabbing her in the stomach, before attempting to flee on Jagadambal Street in West Mambalam on Wednesday morning.Investigators said the dogs chased R Raghunath, 23, of Sivakasi , a former colleague of C Suchismitha, who works with Ashok Leyland ’s R&D department, allowing locals to catch him and hand him over to the Mambalam police.“The company sacked Raghunath last year for harassing Suchismitha,” an investigating officer said. “He blamed her for losing the job.”Suchismitha sustained abdominal injuries and is receiving treatment at a private hospital.“She was walking to a bus stop from a women’s hostel at 6.30am when Raghunath, hiding on a street corner, accosted her,” the officer said. “He soon pulled out a knife, stabbed her and fled. The two dogs charged after him, causing him to hit a motorcycle and fall, and locals soon caught him.”Auto driver Ram said the dogs, both of whom answer to the simple name of ‘Puppy’, played a key role in nabbing Raghunath.“It was early in the morning and the streets were deserted,” Ram said. “The attacker would have escaped if the dogs hadn’t chased him.”Police said Suchismitha, from Kolkata, had stayed in the West Mambalam hostel for the past three years.“During interrogation, Raghunath revealed that was a contract employee for Ashok Leyland before the company fired him,” the officer said. “He had been waiting on the road for Suchismitha from 6am.”Suchismitha was boarding the office bus last July when Raghunath touched her inappropriately. She informed her father, Chatterjee, who works for the same firm in the north, about the incident. Chatterjee took the case to senior officials of the company in Chennai and they terminated Raghunath’s services.“Raghunath, a mechanical engineer, joined the company last June,” the officer said. “He remained unemployed after being sacked.”