70-yr-old killed, wife injured in robbery attack

Pune: A 70-year-old man died while his wife was grievously injured in an attack by robbers at Lonikand, Pune, at midnight. The couple resisted the robbers’ demands for jewellery and money after which, the latter attacked the couple.

Pratap Mankar, police inspector, Lonikand police station, said, “Keraba Bhima Gadade died and his wife Mukta is battling for her life. Both of them stay at Dongaragaon in Lonikand area. They were sleeping in one room while their daughter-in-law, Nirmala, along with her kids, was sleeping in another room. The robbers entered the house by breaking open the doors and asked the old couple to handover their money and jewellery.”

Mr Mankar said, “First they asked Keraba who refused to share information and tried to shout. To stop him from shouting, the robbers killed him with sharp weapons that they were carrying. Mukta stepped in between to save her husband but the robbers assaulted her as well. They took out her jewellery – a necklace and earrings worth Rs 60,000.”

Hearing some noise, Nirmala tried to get in but the robbers had locked the door. She then called the neighbours after which, the robbers fled the spot.

Mr Mankar said, “The robbers dressed as beggars had tea in the same house a day before. They had roamed around in the village. Midnight on Monday, they tried to rob the family. This village is five km inside Perne Phata main road. Earlier too, there have been two attem-pts to robbery. We are trying to arrest the robbers.”

Mukta has been admitted to Sassoon General Hospital in Pune.