Robbers strike at Chembur flat, flee with Rs2.5 lakh jewellery

The RCF police have launched a manhunt for four unidentified youngsters for allegedly robbing and assaulting a housewife after barging into her fourth floor flat in Chembur on Monday and fleeing with gold jewellery worth Rs2.5 lakh.

The incident occurred around 2.30pm at the Ekta Housing Society, Mhada Colony in Chembur. The police said at the time of the incident 34-year-old Lalita Bhansiwal was alone at her home while her son Akshay had gone to give food to his father, Suganaram who runs a leather shop at Kurla (East).

According to sources, the robbers assaulted the victim, sealed her mouth with an adhesive tape and tied her inside the kitchen before  running away with the valuables.

The police have collected the CCTV footage that has been installed at the entrance of the neighbouring building.

The police said the CCTV record shows that the four youngsters entered the building and left few minutes later.

Sources informed that the four youngsters after arriving at the victim’s building inquired about the address of Bhansiwal’s son Akshay with a florist.

“On reaching the fourth floor, one of the accused covered his face with a handkerchief and  knocked on the door while the others strategically hid themselves. The four barged into the apartment after pushing the victim inside. They taped the woman’s mouth and tied her hands and kept her in the kitchen. Later, they robbed the gold jewellery worth Rs2.5 lakh kept in the cupboard at gun point. While fleeing from spot one of them, locked the door from outside,” the source said.

After their escape, the victim managed to remove the adhesive tape and shouted for help. The residents from the building gathered at the spot and called the police.

Dilip Yadav, a senior police inspector of RCF police station said, “We are planning to draw sketches of the four robbers. The sketches will be drawn as per the descriptions provided by the victim.”