Gurugram family drugged, robbed by domestic helpers

Two male domestic helpers allegedly laced their employers’ food with sedatives at a house in Palam Vihar Extension and robbed them of valuables and cash on Thursday

Two male domestic helpers allegedly laced their employers’ food with sedatives at a house in Palam Vihar Extension and robbed them of valuables and cash on Thursday night, said the police.

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The police said the duo started working as helpers in the household from last week. The suspects had approached the family members through their old help, who had gone home in Nepal and had recommended them in his place. Both the suspects are Nepalese citizens, said the police.

Preet Pal Sangwan, assistant commissioner of police (crime), said that one of the victims, 50-year-old Kamlesh Yadav, had hired two men, identified as Anil Shahi and Om Kumar, who were distant relatives of her former help.

On Thursday night, Yadav after having dinner complained of drowsiness and told her son and daughter to check her blood pressure. “After a few minutes, the children took me to my bedroom and I fell asleep. When I gained consciousness, I found myself lying in a bed in a hospital. My son told me that the helpers had mixed sedatives in our dinner, ransacked the house and fled with cash and jewellery,” she said.

Sangwan said three of the family members consumed the same food and fell unconscious. Mohit Yadav, son of the complainant, said that since his mother is diabetic, he gave her insulin and made her sleep in her bedroom. “After dinner, my sister and I also fell asleep. When I got up on Friday morning, I found all the doors and almirah open. I went to check on my mother and found her lying unconscious. I rushed her to a private hospital, where doctors conducted tests and informed us that her food was laced with sedatives. However, she was out of danger,” he said. Like him, his sister also got up on her own, the police said.

Yadav said the suspects had not submitted their identification documents, which they promised will be submitted within a week. They told the employer that one of their friends who was visiting India will get all of their documents. They were hired on a salary of ₹11,000 each, said the police.

The victim’s house was under renovation and despite 12 CCTV cameras being installed, none was in a working condition. The suspects took the advantage and escaped through the main gate with bags, said the police.

Sangwan said they are suspecting the role of a gang, the members of whom had earlier been arrested in similar cases. “The employer received a call from an unidentified man who shared the suspects’ pictures and their latest mobile numbers. He also shared the pictures of the sleeping pills used by the suspects to lace the food. Police teams are conducting raids at suspected locations and we have received crucial leads which can lead to arrest,” Sangwan said.