Posing as health officials, two rob home-alone elderly woman in Panchkula
After asking to check coolers, robbers decamp with cash, jewellery after gagging and tying up 71-year-old woman
Two men posing as health department officials robbed a 71-year-old woman of her gold jewellery and ₹8,000 in cash at her house in Sector 12A.
Though the victim filed a complaint on Wednesday, cops registered a case only on Thursday following investigation.
The victim, Krishna Sharma, said the duo, who appeared to be in their mid-20s, gagged her with her dupatta and tied up her legs before ransacking her house and fleeing with her jewellery and cash.
Narrating the sequence of events, she said her door bell rang around 12:30pm on Tuesday, while she was alone at home. When she went out, two men standing at the gate told her they had come to check water coolers at her house as part of a drive.
“They first checked the cooler on the outer side of the house, and then asked me to lead them to the one installed inside. I told them that checking one was enough, but they repeatedly insisted to check the other cooler, so I allowed them to go inside the house,” the victim said.
Her husband, RC Sharma, a retired deputy director from Haryana public relations department, said he had gone out for some work when the robbery took place. “As per my wife, they entered inside and after checking the coolers, remained standing in a room. They did not leave even after being asked by my wife,” he said.
Krishna said the duo then grabbed her and tied her legs, before covering her mouth with her dupatta. “They then asked me to give them my jewellery and cash in the house. They first took off my gold bangles and rings, and then proceeded to open every almirah, box and locker in the house, and took away ₹8,000 in cash,” she alleged.
She alleged that the accused beat her up, causing swelling on the forehead and nose bleeding, before fleeing her house.
Krishna managed to get up and screamed for help, following which a neighbour rushed to her aid and found her bleeding.
Her husband said they were reluctant to report the incident earlier, but filed a police complaint on Wednesday.
Sharma said there was no CCTV camera installed at their house or in the adjacent houses.
Inspector Lalit Kumar, station house officer (SHO), Sector 14 said, “We received a complaint from the elderly couple on Wednesday evening. After reviewing all facts in the matter, we have registered a case under Section 392 (robbery) of the Indian Penal Code. Further investigation has been initiated.”