A 48-year-old housewife was held hostage at her Maurya Enclave residence in northeast Delhi on Tuesday afternoon by six dacoits who took away cash and jewellery worth lakhs of rupees.
The police said the accused, identified as Sanjay Mukhiya, 19, Umesh Mukhiya, 19, Ranjeet Kumar, 22, and Suraj Mukhiya, 19, have been arrested while the mastermind of the dacoit gang, Pradeep Yadav, 25, is absconding.
The police has recovered `7.26 lakhs cash, gold and silver jewellery, foreign currency worth `60,000, 10 watches, two laptops, a video camera and one mobile phone from their possession. A juvenile, who is a native of Bihar, was also held in the case and he has been sent to a rehabilitation home.
The incident took place on Tuesday at around 3 pm when the assailants barged into the residence of one Dalbir Singh in Vaishali, Peetampura. “Singh’s wife, Veena Manchanda, was held hostage in her bedroom and the house was ransacked by the assailants, including the 19-year-old unverified domestic help Sanjay, who was employed a week ago. The assailants decamped with `13.25 lakhs cash, gold and silver jewellery, two laptops and foreign currency,” DCP (northwest) Meenu Chaudhary said.
The police said the five accused used to work as domestic helps and waiters in residences and hotels in the capital.
“Yadav, who had previously provided the victim family a domestic help, is the kingpin and he hatched the conspiracy to carry out the dacoity. Suraj Mukhiya, Umesh Mukhiya and the minor had also worked as a servant with the complainant earlier for a short time and the other accused used to visit them.