78yrold fights off robbery attempt by grandson, friend
REVENGE Rajat was angry with the elderly couple for not offering financial aid for his sister’s wedding
Seeking ‘revenge’ against his maternal grandparents for not offering financial help for his sister’s wedding, a 20-year-old youth made an unsuccessful attempt to rob the elderly couple at their home in outer Delhi’s Rohini, police said.
Rajat and his friend, Rishabh, barged into the couple’s home on Saturday afternoon, but his grandparents fought back and alerted the neighbours. Though his 68-year-old grandmother suffered a cut lip and lost a tooth in the retaliatory assault, they managed to get the duo nabbed.
Rajat lives with his parents in east Delhi’s Shakurpur. Rajat’s father told police that he was pursuing a course in law but the accused claimed that he was not studying anything after passing his Class 12 exam.
His father is a property dealer, but the business had not been doing well over the recent months, said an investigator. “Rajat’s sister was of marriageable age and the family needed money,” the investigator added.
Rajat’s grandparents, Shakuntala and Ram Lal Muglani, 78, lived alone. Their two daughters live in different parts of the city with their families. According to the police, the aged couple had recently sold one of their houses for a good amount and Rajat and his parents were aware of this.
“Around a month ago, Rajat and his mother visited his grandparents in the hope of receiving financial help for his sister’s wedding. But his grandparents did not show any interest,” said the investigator.
Rajat allegedly harboured anger and hatred towards them. “The robbery attempt arose from his need for money as well as his desire for revenge. He felt his grandparents favoured his aunt, not his parents” said the investigator.
Rajat allegedly shared his rob- bery plan with his 20-year-old unemployed friend, Rishabh, who offered to join him. Rajat’s parents, however, had no role in the crime, police clarified.
The youths procured a white Honda Activa scooter, removed the registration number plate at the rear end of the vehicle and used a paper to conceal the number plate in the front.
“They also procured a toy pistol to suppress any fight back and a hammer to break open the safe. The duo struck around 12.10pm on Saturday,” said Rishi Pal, DCP (Rohini), on Monday.
Posing as an employee of a gas distribution company, Rishabh went inside the house. Rajat followed wearing a helmet.
According to Muglani’s complaint, Rajat’s identity was exposed when he took off his helmet to escape. The duo was caught with the help of neighbours.
The family members of the victim did not allow a HT team to visit the elderly couple at their home on Monday.
Their daughter, Vidhi, said that the incident has left her parents traumatised. Rishabh, enters the aged couple's house on the pretext of checking the IGL gas connection Armed with a toy pistol and a hammer, Rishabh overpowers the elderly woman who is in the kitchen. She fights back, but he beats her and breaks her tooth. Rajat barges into the house wearing a helmet and tries to rob the cash. The chaos draws the attention of the old man who is in the bedroom The elderly couple find the man behind the helmet is their grandson. The old man rushes into the kitchen and raises an alarm even as he tries to fight the robber. Rajat's helmet comes off during the scuffle Neighbours overpower the robbers. The police are informed after which the accused are held and booked.