E-Paper
Robbers loot doctor couple in Ambernath, flee with cash, jewellery worth ₹1.18Cr
Robbers barged into Usha Nursing Home in Ambernath, locked nurses and patients on the ground and first floors, and broke into the house of a septuagenarian doctor couple who owned the hospital and stayed on the second, late on Monday night; the accused then threatened Dr. Usha Lapsia, 71, at knifepoint and fled with their entire safe containing cash and gold worth ₹1.18Cr
Four masked men barged into Usha Nursing Home in Ambernath, locked nurses and patients on the ground and first floors, and broke into the house of a septuagenarian doctor couple who owned the hospital and stayed on the second, late on Monday night.
The accused then threatened Dr. Usha Lapsia, 71, at knifepoint and fled with their entire safe containing cash and gold worth ₹1.18Cr. This was the second time that Usha was looted. A month ago, her gold chain was snatched near her house. No one has been arrested in the case. The accused fled with CCTV cameras and DVRs from the ground floor control room.
The doctor couple, Usha and Harish Lapsia (72) have two different clinics-cum-nursing homes in Ambernath. The one where the incident took place is a 20-bedded hospital in Kansai that is managed by Usha. They are one of the oldest doctors in the city.
Usha had the habit of keeping the door unlocked as Harish worked late. On Monday, she closed the Out Patient Clinic at around 10.30pm and went to sleep at 11pm.
An officer from Shivaji Nagar police station in Ambernath said, “The two nurses on night duty were at the main desk at around midnight on the ground floor. One patient was on the ground floor and two others were on the first floor. Four masked men entered the nursing home and threatened the nurses to go inside the room where the patient was sleeping. Two persons also snatched the nurses’ and patient’s phones, and locked the ground floor door. They then went up and locked the other doors on first and second floors to ensure that no other patient or hospital staff escaped.”
DCP P Mohite said, “Usha heard the sound of someone entering and assumed it was her husband. She went out of her bedroom to check. The accused held her at knife point and took away their safe that had cash and valuables worth ₹1.18Cr. The password of the safe was with Harish. They took the entire safe. However, they did not hurt her.”
Harish rushed home and opened the doors on each floor and informed the police. The accused also took the CCTV footages and the DVR from the ground floor control room.
Mohite added, “We have four different teams from Shivaji Nagar police station and four from the Crime Branch looking into the robbery. We believe that the accused is known to the couple as they knew about Usha keeping the door unlocked and also the safe had valuables. Moreover, Usha was also targeted a month ago that deepens our suspicion.”
Usha has 44 years of experience as a gynaecologist and obstetrician. She is a member of several professional organisations including the Indian Medical Association. The couple has two children who are settled in the US.
