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Sacked caretaker came to rob vulnerable elderly couple: Panchkula police
The accused knew they would be home alone; along with two aides, attacked them with sharp-edged weapons after they identified him, said Panchkula police
The sacked caretaker and his two accomplices broke into the retired Colonel’s house for robbery, and attacked him, his wife and their domestic help with sharp-edged weapons after they identified him, police said on Thursday.
The gruesome attack had left Colonel RK Sharma (retd), 87, and his domestic help, Ram Murti, 60, grievously injured, and his wife Sushila Sharma, 86, dead.
Cracking the case within eight hours on Wednesday, the detective staff of Panchkula police had arrested Vijay, who the colonel had fired around six months back, and his two accomplices Bittu and Vijay, alias Romeo.
While Vijay lives in Majri village, Bittu and Vijay are residents of Kharak Mangoli. All aged below 30, the accused were nabbed from a check post in Vikar Nagar while trying to escape to Uttar Pradesh, said police.
Vijay is employed as a caretaker at a private hospital in Sector 21, Panchkula. Bittu works at a liquor vend and Vijya is a waiter.
“Having previously worked for the senior citizen couple, Vijay was aware that they remained home alone during the day. So, he planned to rob the couple. He entered the couple’s house with a mask and cap to conceal his identity, and launched attacked after the couple still identified them,” said deputy commissioner of police (DCP, Crime) Mukesh Malhotra.
“They are all drug addicts. They arrived on foot and stole ₹20,000 in cash from the couple’s house after attacking them. Jewellery and other valuables were intact. We are checking if they were involved in any other criminal activity,” said the DCP.
The police said the accused used a knife and an axe in the crime that were yet to be recovered, along with the blood-stained clothes of the accused.
The trio was produced before a court on Thursday and sent to six-day police remand.
On the statement of the couple’s daughter, Anuradha Sharma, police registered a case under Sections 302, 307, 397 and 452 of the Indian Penal Code, and relevant sections of the Arms Act at the Sector 5 police station. The colonel and his domestic help remain hospitalised.
CCTV footage helped nail accused
The couple’s daughter, Anuradha Sharma, 55, after scanning the CCTV footage, had identified their former help Vijay, who was captured entering the house on Wednesday afternoon, followed by his two accomplices within 7-8 minutes.
“CCTV footage, technical surveillance and human intelligence network helped us nail the accused,” said DCP Malhotra.
Anuradha told police that she worked as a dentist at a government hospital in Shahzadpur, Ambala district. She was on leave on March 6 and had gone to buy some household goods from Chandimandir. While on her way back home, she reached Sector 2, when she received a call from their driver Deepak, informing her about the attack. Her brother, who lives in Canada with his family, is on his way to India.
They took me at gunpoint: Driver
The CCTV footage also showed the family’s driver Deepak walking out of the house with the three assailants. He later told Anuradha that the accused took him along at gunpoint and after reaching the main road, fled on foot, leaving him behind.
“During questioning, the driver revealed that the accused took him away under threat. They also snatched his mobile phone,” said DCP Malhotra.
