Duo hypnotises, loots 3 families

Two men, who introduced themselves as salesmen, have become a cause of concern for residents and police in southeast Delhi. Faizan Haider reports.

Two men, who introduced themselves as salesmen, have become a cause of concern for residents and police in southeast Delhi. The duo allegedly hypnotised three families in Greater Kailash and Sarita Vihar and fled with valuables.

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Police said these were not stray cases and they have received many more complaints of criminals following the same modus operandi and targeting senior citizens who lived alone.

The residents of Sarita Vihar have also given CCTV footage that captured the two criminals at the colony gate. Police said investigations were on but there had been no breakthrough yet.

"On June 9 afternoon, two young men rang the doorbell. They said they are from a marketing company and wanted to give free samples of a metal polish. They applied some powder on my gold bangles. I remember talking to them but then I blacked out," said 65-year-old Neelam Seth, a resident of H-block, Sarita Vihar.

"It was as if I was hypnotised. I don't remember anything clearly after that. When I gained consciousness, I realised my gold bangles were gone," she added.

Neelam lives with her husband Narendra Seth, 70. Her son was at work at the time of the incident.

A similar incident had taken place in J-block a month ago and the Nayar family - the victims - had reported the matter to the police. "At the gate of J-block, the RWAs have installed CCTV cameras. After this incident at my house, I obtained the footage and found that they were the same men who had robbed the couple at J block," Narendra Seth said.

The Seth family alleged that despite submitting the CCTV footage to police, they have not registered the FIR. The police told the family that they have identified the duo and would soon arrest them.

"Police gave the same assurance to the Nayars in J Block. We have now informed other residents to beware of this gang," Seth added.

On May 24, 82-year-old Rama Kakkad, of B-block, Greater Kailash-I, filed a complaint saying a man hypnotised her and she gave her jewellery to him.

"We are investigating but residents need to beware of possible threat from unidentified men," said Ajay Chaudhry, ACP (southeast).