70-year-old woman dies after robbers tie up elderly couple in Tardeo flat

The police said they suspect that the robbers had gagged Surekha tightly that made her struggle to breathe. They did not find any injury marks on her body, however, the exact cause of death will be revealed in the post-mortem

Mumbai: A 70-year-old woman died of suspected suffocation after three robbers tied her up and gagged her with a tape in her flat barely 200 metres from the Tardeo police station on Sunday.

Mumbai, India – Aug 13, 2023: Mumbai Police investigate at Crime spot, Surekha Agarwal resident who was killed by Robbers, at Yoosuf Manzil, Tardeo, in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, Aug 13, 2023. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo) (Hindustan Times)

Surekha Agarwal and her husband Madan R Agarwal, 75, lived on the third floor of Yoosuf Manzil on Kashinath Street.

At around 6:30am, when Agarwal opened the door for morning walk, three robbers, two wearing masks and one sporting a cap, dragged him inside the house and locked the door. They tied up Agarwal’s hands and legs with adhesive tape and taped his mouth. The robbers then went to the bedroom where Agarwal’s wife was sleeping and tied her hands and legs and also taped her mouth. The robbers thereafter opened the cupboard and decamped with valuables.

When the robber left, Agarwal managed to crawl and somehow opened the door to seek help. However, the other two flats on the floor were locked. It was only at around 7:45am when a woman staying on the fourth floor came out of her house and heard Agarwal’s screaming for help while the tape was on his mouth.

The woman alerted her son, and they rushed to help Agarwal. The neighbour immediately informed the Tardeo police about the incident. Surekha was taken to Nair hospital, however, she died before admission, said one of the neighbours. Agarwal was also taken to the Nair hospital and his condition is said to be stable.

The police said they suspect that the robbers had gagged Surekha tightly that made her struggle to breathe. They did not find any injury marks on her body, however, the exact cause of death will be revealed in the post-mortem.

Agarwal’s son lives in Wadala who was informed about the incident. There is no security guard in the building. The couple had been living here for four decades and their sons and daughter visit them on weekends.

A police officer said the suspects have been captured in the CCTV camera installed in the building and on the third floor.The police have questioned a few people on the basis of suspicion and are checking CCTV footage of the vicinity to get more leads on the accused.

The police claimed that the accused came to the building on Saturday and took a taxi. After getting the registration number of the taxi from the CCTV footage, the driver was picked up for inquiry. After the robbery, the accused boarded another taxi and got off at Marine Drive. The taxi driver claimed that he did not know the accused as they approached him like other passengers, the police said. The local shopkeepers were also questioned to get leads.

“In preliminary investigation, it appears that the robbers must have been following Agarwal for some time and were aware of his morning routine. Agarwal goes for morning walk every day, an accused might have conducted recce and planned the robbery,” a police officer said. The police found that the robbers took two gold chains, however, they are trying to ascertain if anything else was stolen.

Deputy commissioner of police Balsingh Rajput also visited the crime scene.

A case under section 302 (murder), 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery), 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 452 (house-trespass after preparation for hurt) 506 (criminal intimidation), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code has been booked against the accused.