Help assaults, robs Andheri senior citizen
When 65-year-old Khatija Farukhi’s family had hired 18-year-old domestic help, little did they know this boy meant nothing, but trouble.
When 65-year-old Khatija Farukhi’s family had hired 18-year-old domestic help, little did they know this boy meant nothing, but trouble. The family had neither bothered to verify their help’s antecedents nor did they register his details with the local police station and they paid a heavy price for their recklessness.
On Thursday, 18-year-old Imran, who had been employed by Farukhi as a domestic help just two days ago barged into their residence with his two friends, and robbed her of jewellery worth Rs11.5 lakh. “My maid servant was planning to go on leave and I had asked her to refer someone, who could work for us in her absence. Imran, a friend of my maid, approached us and we hired him without any hesitation,” said Farukhi.
Farukhi stays with her son Salim, a developer and daughter-in-law and eight-year-old grandson in the B-Wing of Raheja Classique on the Link Road in Andheri (West).
Farukhi said, Imran came to her residence on Friday and told her that his two friends were looking for jobs and asked her whether she would be interested in hiring them. “I told him that I would let him know as soon as there was some work. Hearing this, Imran said his friends were waiting downstairs and he would return in while after informing them.”
He came again, this time with his friends. As soon he entered the house, he rushed to the kitchen, picked up a knife and threatened Farukhi to give them the cupboard keys. When she told him that keys were with Salim, the trio asked her to remove gold and diamond ornaments on her. The victim sustained a minor cut on her right hand in the scuffle.
Farukhi’s daughter-in-law was also present in the house when the trio barged in but she locked herself in a room.
Since it was time to offer evening prayer, Farukhi asked them to give her some time to offer namaz. “He allowed me to do so but as soon as I returned, I removed my ornaments and handed them over to the trio and they fled. We raised an alarm,” said Farukhi.
The matter was immediately reported to the police and the police are now trying to trace the maid, who had referred Imran to the Farukhis.
“We have registered a case of robbery against Imran and his two unidentified friends,” said Kailash Ghamande, senior police inspector of Amboli police station.
A similar case was reported at Lokhandwala, Andheri, where 62-year-old CH Sajeda’s maid decamped with cash and jewellery worth Rs5 lakh on Friday afternoon. According to Sajeda’s family, the maid was employed at watchman’s reference two days ago, but without any verification.