Mumbai: House help drugs couple, flees with cash, valuables

A house help, who had been hired the same day, drugged a Malad businessman and his wife and allegedly fled with cash and valuables.

A house help, who had been hired the same day, drugged a Malad businessman and his wife and allegedly fled with cash and valuables. The neighbours learnt about the incident the next afternoon when the victims’ daughter was unable to get through to her parents on the phone.

The complainant Vinay Chandak, 48, lives with his wife in a high-rise at Chincholi Bunder Road in Malad. While their son is in the United States, their daughter lives in Kolkata.

Chandak had hired the house help through a friend on Friday. Identified only as Paresh, the accused is suspected to be a native of Odisha, the police said. That day, around 8pm , the accused allegedly served the couple milk laced with a strong sedative. The two fell unconsciousness after drinking it.

When Chandak’s daughter Sakshi tried to call her parents the following morning, her calls went unanswered. Concerned, she called her parents’ neighbour who rang the bell to the Chandaks’ apartment. Police said Chandak’s 44-year-old wife answered the door and the neighbour told her to call Sakshi back. She then went back inside and fell unconscious again, an officer said.

“The couple recovered only on Monday morning. We have sent the glasses from which they drank the milk to the forensic science laboratory,” said an officer.

Their statement was recorded on Monday, the police said. So far, the officers have not been able to estimate the worth of the stolen products although they found the cupboard open.