Date:10/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/10/stories/2008091061960300.htm

New Delhi

Engineer, mother attacked during robbery bid

Staff Reporter

Rajesh Pathak was attacked in his house at
Ashok Vihar
Local residents were in a state of shock following
the incident

NEW DELHI: A 32-year-old software engineer was stabbed and his face disfigured with a sharp weapon during a robbery at Ashok Vihar here on Tuesday.

According to the police, four persons armed with sharp weapons entered the Ashok Vihar Phase-I house of Rajesh Pathak, a software engineer with a multi-national company in Gurgaon, through a window around 4 a.m. The robbers held Rajesh and his mother Kiran Pathak hostage and asked them to hand over the keys of the wardrobe. When Rajesh resisted, one of the robbers attacked him with a sharp weapon causing major injuries. The robbers also tried to strangulate Kiran.

On hearing the screams, their tenants rushed to their help and found Rajesh lying in a pool of blood and his mother unconscious. Rajesh was taken to a hospital where his condition was said to be stable.

The robbers decamped with four mobile phones and some cash.

“Preliminary investigations have revealed that two robbers entered the house by removing the iron grill and then cut off the power supply. They then opened the main door for their accomplices to enter,” said a police officer.

The local residents were in a state of shock following the incident. “Rajesh has been staying his mother for the past several years. He is single and does not have rivalry with anyone,” a neighbour said.