Tie-up aged parents and two youths; loot valuables worth Rs. 13.60 lakh

Mysuru: A gang of five dacoits barged into the house of a doctor couple and tied up their aged parents and two youths before decamping with Rs. 10 lakh cash and gold jewellery all worth Rs. 13.60 lakh on Mar. 17 night. The incident occurred at Saraswathipuram Fifth Main, Sixth Cross and the Police have begun questioning four persons in this regard.

Dr. Dattatreya runs Vani Child Clinic at Udayagiri and Kuvempunagar while his wife works as a doctor in a Women’s Clinic at Kuvempunagar. The couple has a busy schedule and normally they return home late in the night. Their aged parents 87-year-old Viashwanatha Shastry and 79-year-old Padmavathi stay at home.

On Mar. 17 evening, Dr. Dattatreya’s son Sumukh P. Shastry, who studies Medicine, came home from College along with his friend Akash. While Sumukh and Akash were studying on the first floor of the house at around 8.30 pm, they heard hurried footsteps of a couple of people walking on the floor below where Sumukh’s grandparents were staying.

Sumukh and Akash were about to open the door of their room when five dacoits barged into the room flashing knives, screw-drivers, hammers and daggers. They threatened the youths and tied them up with a mobile charging wire and also pasted plasters on their mouths after stuffing them with clothes so that they do not scream.

After some time, Sumukh managed to wriggle out of the knots and came downstairs along with Akash only to see his grandparents tied up and in a helpless state. They released the aged couple and also removed the clothes stuffed into their mouths.

When inquired, the couple told Sumukh that they heard the doorbell ring at around 8 pm and opened the door thinking that their son and daughter-in-law had come home after work. The couple told Sumukh that a gold chain weighing 70 grams and a gold bangle weighing 30 grams were snatched away and the dacoits had entered the bed room where Rs. 10 lakh cash was kept.

Along with Rs. 10 lakh cash, the dacoits had taken away gold ornaments weighing 140 grams worth Rs. 3.5 lakh and also silver articles worth Rs. 10,000. Saraswathipuram Police have registered a case and have already begun questioning four suspects in connection with the dacoity.