Businessman thrashed, robbed of ₹25 lakh in Preet Vihar
POLICE SUSPECT THAT A GROUP OF ILLEGAL MIGRANTS THAT TARGETS HOUSES LOCATED CLOSE TO THE RAILWAY TRACKS IN PREET VIHAR MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT
NEWDELHI: Seven men armed with iron rods and pistols allegedly barged into a businessman’s house in east Delhi’s Preet Vihar, held the family members and domestic help hostage, thrashed them and decamped with cash and jewellery worth around ₹25 lakh early on Friday morning.
Police said the robbers also beat up the family’s security guard and gagged and tied him to a tree outside the home.
The businessman, Manmohan Bansal, 55, his employee, Ajay, and guard Gateu later had to be admitted to a nearby hospital where their condition was stated to be out of danger, police said.
Police suspect that a group of illegal migrants that targets houses located close to the railway tracks in Preet Vihar may have been involved in the incident. They suspect that the same gang might have been involved in similar house robberies in areas around Preet Vihar, Madhuban and Anand Vihar in the past.
Deputy commissioner of police (east) Pankaj Singh said a case of dacoity has been registered at Preet Vihar police station. “We have got some clues about the suspects. Several teams are working on the case,” said the DCP.
Bansal, who runs a hardware shop in Chawri Bazar, said the incident took place when the family was sleeping around 3am.
“Four robbers broke open the door and entered Bansal’s room and held him and his wife hostage at gunpoint. They assaulted Bansal when he tried to raise the alarm,” said a police officer associated with the case.
Hearing the commotion, the house help Ajay woke up and went to Bansal’s room where he, too, was attacked with a stick and his hands and legs tied. The robbers then ransacked the house and fled with ₹15 lakh cash and jewellery worth ₹10 lakh.
Police said the crime came to light when four security guards of the residential colony found Bansal’s guard missing from duty. They launched a search for him and found him gagged near the railway tracks.