Ludhiana: Domestic help couple drugs bizman, flees with ₹2.5 lakh cash, jewellery

The incident came to light after businessman Neeraj Sachdeva was found unconscious and rushed to DMC Hospital by his family members

Ludhiana Hired 15 days ago, a domestic help couple drugged their employer by serving him milk laced with an intoxicating substance before fleeing with around ₹2.5 lakh in cash and gold and silver jewellery from his house in the Rose Enclave area of Maya Nagar.

The couple allegedly took advantage of the family’s absence and escaped after taking cash and valuables. (HT File)

The incident came to light after businessman Neeraj Sachdeva was found unconscious and rushed to DMC Hospital by his family members. The couple, Arjun and his wife Maya, natives of Nepal, had been hired by the family only about 15 days ago.

According to the complaint lodged by Sachdeva, the couple gave him milk to drink at night. Shortly afterwards, he felt unwell and lost consciousness. Alarmed by his condition, family members rushed him to the hospital, leaving the couple at home.

Police said the couple allegedly took advantage of the family’s absence and escaped after taking cash and valuables from a cupboard. When the family returned home, they found around ₹2.5 lakh in cash, nearly 105 grams of gold jewellery and several silver ornaments, including anklets and rings, missing.

The Division Number 8 police registered a case against Arjun and Maya under Sections 306 and 3(5) of the BNS on Sachdeva’s complaint.

Inspector Amritpal Sharma, SHO at Division Number 8 police station said CCTV footage showed the couple leaving the house. Police have taken the footage into possession and are examining it to trace the accused.

The police are also investigating the circumstances under which the businessman became unconscious and are trying to establish what substance, if any, was mixed in the milk. Teams are conducting searches to trace the couple.

Past incidents

Domestic helps have been involved in multiple recent theft cases across the city. On May 7, a domestic help hired just 10 days prior took advantage of their employer’s absence during a family function to decamp with cash and jewellery from a house in the Atam Park area. On June 18, two separate theft cases involving domestic helps were reported, leading the Sarabha Nagar police and Meharban Police to lodge two separate FIRs. On August 13, a domestic help who had worked for a realtor’s family for nearly 15 years turned into a conspirator by handing over the keys of his employer’s locked house to aides, who broke in and decamped with ₹5 lakh cash, foreign currency, gold jewellery, and other valuables.