Date:16/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/16/stories/2008061658790300.htm

New Delhi

Servant drugs doctor, family

Staff Reporter

Suspected to have decamped with cash and valuables

NEW DELHI: A 40-year-old doctor, his teacher wife and their nine-year-old son were allegedly drugged by their domestic help at Vivek Vihar here on Saturday. Raju Nepali, who was hired over a fortnight ago, is suspected to have decamped with cash and valuables as the house was found ransacked.

Dr. Bijender Singh Yadav, his wife Milan Yadav and their elder son Kartvya were found lying unconscious when 22-year-old Ankit Yadav -- who works at the Ghaziabad-based clinic of the doctor -- reached their D Block residence in Vivek Vihar late on Saturday night. Ankit, a close relative of Dr. Yadav, grew suspicious when he found the clinic shut though it remained open till late in the evening on weekends. On reaching the house, four-year-old Janu, younger son of the couple, told Ankit that everyone was asleep after having tea in the evening and Raju was not there.

Ankit then alerted the relatives and rushed the victims to the Max Balaji Hospital in Patparganj where doctors described their condition as stable. The matter was then reported to the police in the early hours of Sunday.

“Though Janu is too young to tell us what exactly happened, but according to him Raju Nepali served the evening tea to his parents and elder brother following which they fell asleep. He was watching television in the next room at that time and did not take the tea,” said a senior police officer. The officer added that the family was not fit for statement and it was not known what all was missing.

Interestingly, Raju Nepali was hired by the family on the recommendation of the doctor’s father-in-law Chatra Singh Yadav, who runs a school by the name of Ghaziabad Public School in Nehru Nagar. Raju Nepali had been working at his school along with three-four helps for the past one-and-a-half year and was trusted by his employer. When the doctor asked for the domestic help, his father-in-law recommended Raju as an “honest” and “trustworthy” worker. The other helps, who had been working at the school, are also missing since the incident came into light.

“A police team had recently visited the locality as per part of the drive to educate people about the need to get their servants verified, but the family did not get their help verified,” said the officer, adding that a team had been sent to Nepal in search of Raju and his friends.