Woman, kids kept hostage in NE Delhi during ₹3L robbery; 3 held
A 22-year-old man, Niket Sharma, was arrested and two minor boys –- aged 16 and 17 –-were apprehended, police said, adding that ₹32,000 cash has also been recovered.
At least three unidentified men entered the house of a 35-year-old woman in northeast Delhi’s Bhajanpura under the guise of checking her Wi-Fi connection, held her and two children hostage, and fled with ₹3 lakh and some jewellery on Thursday, police said on Sunday.
A 22-year-old man, Niket Sharma, was arrested and two minor boys –- aged 16 and 17 –-were apprehended, police said, adding that ₹32,000 cash has also been recovered.
The woman was identified as Geeta Sharma, a resident of Bhajanpura. Based on her complaint, a case of voluntarily causing hurt while committing a robbery was registered under Section 309(6) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Bhajanpura police station, police said. A few suspects have also been detained for questioning, they added.
Sharma alleged in her complaint that on Thursday afternoon, she was at her third floor-flat with the children while her husband, a private employee, was at work. Around 1.15pm, she was using the washing machine when her minor son told her that two men were standing at the entrance gate, police said.
The woman went up to them, one of whom was wearing a face mask. The men told her that they had come to check the Wi-Fi connection installed at the house. As one of the men had visited the flat for the same purpose two days ago, the woman opened the gate, said a police officer, quoting her complaint.
According to police, while two men kept her busy in a conversation, another sneaked inside and went to the room where an almirah was kept. He locked the two children inside the bathroom, while the other two pretended to check the Wi-Fi connection. Then one of them asked the woman for a glass of water, police said.
“The woman gave him water, and as she turned towards the kitchen, one man overpowered her, while the other placed a knife on her neck and pushed her to a room, where she was gagged using a blanket. The robbers then stole ₹3 lakh, a pair of gold earrings, and some silver jewellery before fleeing the house,” an officer, requesting anonymity, said.
The officer added that multiple teams had been formed to identify and nab the robbers. “Some suspects are being questioned,” he added.
