East of Kailash family robbed of Rs 2.5 lakh

Early morning is the time when robbers prefer to strike their targets. This is what the Singh family found out around 4.30 am on Saturday morning.

Early morning is the time when robbers prefer to strike their targets. This is what the Singh family found out around 4.30 am on Saturday morning.

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Four assailants broke into Amarjeet Singh’s plush two-storey bungalow in East of Kailash, bound and gagged the residents and fled with cash worth Rs 2.5 lakh and other valuables, police said.

“The assailants broke into the house through a grille located on the ground floor and overpowered the Singh family—including a nine-year-old child—as well as the household help,” Virendra Singh Chahal, additional commissioner of police, southeast Delhi, said.

According to police, while Amarjeet’s son Kanwar Singh, 37, lives on the first floor with his wife and son, Amarjeet and his wife, who is visiting her relatives, live on the second floor.

Police said the assailants managed to enter the house after removing the glass from a ventilator on the ground floor. Once inside, they tied up a household helper on the ground floor and another who stayed on the second floor.

The helper on the second floor used to wait on Amarjeet who was overpowered soon after.

According to police, Amarjeet and his son, Kanwar, run a cable business at Bhagirath Place market in North Delhi.

“This incident bears a striking resemblance to a robbery which took place at an East of Kailash home on December 17,” said a senior police officer.

On December 17, 2009, eight armed assailants had allegedly broken into a former deputy Mayor’s house opposite Sapna cinema, held his family hostage at gunpoint.

Before making off with jewellery worth Rs 14 lakh and cash amounting to Rs 3 lakh, the assailants had sat down and had some refreshments in the living room—all in a span of three hours.

“Like in the previous case, even in this one—the assailants had covered their faces and had apparently come in a car,” added the officer.

Police suspect that labourers from an adjacent under-construction site may be involved in the incident.

“A building is being constructed next to the Singh residence and we have reason to suspect someone from there might have a hand in this,” a senior police officer said.

“We have registered a case of robbery and are conducting verification of the household help,” said Chahal.