Birthday party nightmare

A child’s birthday party turned into horror for her family after five armed assailants barged into their home, held the girl hostage at gunpoint and robbed those attending of Rs 7 lakh (Rs 7,00,000), reports HT Correspondent.

A child’s birthday party turned into horror for her family after five armed assailants barged into their home, held the girl hostage at gunpoint and robbed those attending of Rs 7 lakh (Rs 7,00,000).

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Surender Dawal (55), who owns a shop in Patparganj, was hosting a birthday party for his four-year-old granddaughter Shreya (4), when someone knocked at their door after 8:30 pm on Monday.

“My son, Manish (30), opened the door to two men standing outside. Before he could ask for their identity, three more men appeared and pushed Manish inside the house,” said Dadwal.

Dadwal said four of the men held pistols while the fifth was armed with a dagger. “They had handkerchiefs around their faces and were wearing gloves.”

“They asked my son to hand over Rs. 50 lakh, which according to them we had had in our house,” said Dadwal.

“Manish denied having the cash after which they assaulted him. A miscreant held Shreya at gunpoint and demanded the keys of the lockers and almirah. They threatened to shoot her.”

The assailants took Rs 5 lakh from the locker and the jewellery from the women.

The men, said Dadwal, locked the hostages in the kitchen before fleeing. So desperate were the robbers, said Dadwal, they even took the ten-rupee note Shreya was holding in her hand.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Anand Mohan said, “We are investigating the case.”

The family reportedly hails from Police Commissioner Y.S. Dadwal’s native village in Uttarakhand.