Daylight robbers strike gold in Pensioners’ Paradise

A five-man gang on Thursday allegedly held four persons, including an elderly couple, hostage at knifepoint in a daylight robbery in the city, ironically called the Pensioners’ Paradise.

The gang tied up and gagged the couple and their two domestic helps with duct tapes before escaping with jewellery worth more than Rs5 lakh from their house in Chamarajpet 4th Main, 2nd Cross around 11.30 am.

Police said the robbers held Srinivasa Murthy, 71, his wife, Shravanth Kumari, 62, and domestic helps Prema and Kamala hostage for about an hour. Murthy sustained minor injuries, when one of the robbers bit him.

The house, located on a busy street, was about 0.5 km away from two police stations, Central and Chamarajpet.

Joint commissioner of police (crime) Alok Kumar, who visited the scene of crime, said the Murthys had left the front door of their house open, making it easy for the gang to commit the crime.
“They barged into the house and tied up the three women and gagged them before stealing cash and ornaments. One of the robbers bit Srinivasa Murthy, who entered the house during the robbery,” Kumar said.

The couple’s son, soft drinks distributor Hemanth, was away at work when the robbery took place.

Police were suspecting that one more man was involved in the crime, since the robbers constantly contacted someone over the phone.

Fingerprint experts and dog squad visited the scene. A sniffer dog went up to the Uma Theatre junction, about 500 metres away. Police were suspecting that the robbers might have escaped in a vehicle from there.

Four police teams have been formed to investigate the crime.