1 week on, no leads in SoBo burglary case

Mumbai: Two men barged into the south Mumbai residence of a senior citizen in broad daylight, gagging her and stealing cash and jewellery to the tune of Rs 10 lakh recently. The LT Marg police registered a case but there are no leads in the case yet as there were no eyewitnesses to the incident or any CCTV footage of the accused entering or leaving the premises, police sources said.  

The accused had sprayed pepper spray into the eyes of 62-year-old Meena Jain to gain entry into her house around 3.45 pm. After tying her hands and gagging her, they broke open the cupboard and fled with the cash and jewellery. Investigators said the victim stays with her 72-year-old husband Dharamchand, who was in his shop at the time of incident. The couple’s children reside separately in the same area.

Dharamchand left home around 10 am and returned at night, which was supposedly known to the accused. The duo landed at the residence around 3.30 pm on February 6, when Meena was taking a nap.

The octogenarian couple had kept jewellery at their residence for an upcoming family wedding, the police said. Meena could not recollect specific description of the accused that could be helpful in making their sketches. “When we checked the footage of CCTV cameras in the neighbourhood, we could only see crowded lanes with people walking towards Marine Lines station. There was no specific footage of the accused leaving the building,” said a police officer.

A case has been registered against the two suspects under sections 394 (voluntary hurt while committing a robbery), 452 (house trespassing), 342 (wrongful confinement), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 34 (acts of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.