Date:26/05/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/05/26/stories/2006052624740300.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Woman robbed of Rs. 5 lakh

Staff Reporter

The assailants posed television cable repairers and threw chilli powder at the victim Assailants threw chilli powder at the victim

BANGALORE: Posing as television cable repairers, three men threw chilli powder on a woman's face and made away with Rs. 5 lakh in cash and gold jewellery estimated at Rs. 50,000 from her house in Nandini Layout police station limits on Wednesday.

According to a complaint filed with the police by Sharada, a resident of 6th Main, 4th Block, Nandini Layout, someone rang the door bell around 3.30 p.m. when she was alone at home.

When she answered the door, the three claimed to be television cable repairers and threw chilli powder on her face. They dragged her into the house, tied her hands and legs and looted Rs. 5 lakhs in cash and the gold jewellery from cupboard. The Nandini Layout police have registered a case of robbery.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Malini Krishna Murthy told The Hindu that there were several loose ends in Sharada's statement. She had claimed that the intruders abused her husband Ramesh alias Ramanna, a bricks merchant. Ramesh was an accused in an attempt to murder case and he was in judicial custody, Ms. Krishna Murthy said.

"It does not appear that a professional gang was involved in the incident. We are ascertaining from where she got the money and why the robbers had not taken away the remaining amount kept in the cupboard," she said.

Robbery at BTM Layout

In another incident, three armed men entered a house in MICO Layout police station limits in the early hours of Thursday and made away with gold ornaments worth Rs. 25,000 and Rs. 600 in cash after threatening those living in the house. The police said the incident occurred around 1 a.m. at the house of Ravi, an autorickshaw driver, in 4th Stage, BTM Layout. Around 12.30 a.m., Ravi's wife complained of uneasiness and he rushed her to hospital. While leaving the house, he latched the door from outside because he did not want to disturb his two relatives who were asleep.

The robbers opened the door, entered the house and threatened Ravi's relatives, Sreenivasa and Lakshmipathi, with knives and took away the jewellery and the cash. The MICO Layout police have registered a case.

Bag snatched

A motorcyclist snatched a bag containing gold ornaments and a mobile phone from a woman in Vijayanagar police station limits on Wednesday afternoon.

The police said that around 4.30 p.m., the youth snatched the bag from Vijaya while she was walking towards her house at Hosahalli. The bag contained a gold chain, a pair of earrings, all estimated at Rs. 18,000 and a mobile phone. The Vijayanagar police have registered a case.