Dacoits posing as police officers attack, rob family

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: For this family residing in Mahalakshmi Layout this New Year turned out to be a traumatic affair. Barely a few hours before welcoming the New Year, the family was attacked, robbed and two of their members abducted by a gang of dacoits posing as fake policemen on Friday afternoon.

The victim is D. Samya Nayak, a civil engineer by profession, and residing with his wife and children in the 2nd stage of Mahalakshmi Layout behind Aditya Hotel. The culprits have escaped with Rs 19 lakh in cash and 500 grams of gold ornaments. Nayak has filed a police complaint in this regard.

On Friday around 1 pm, a group of 4-5 miscreants came to the victim’ house and introduced themselves as the crime branch police officers of Tiptur subdivision in Tumakuru. They demanded Nayak to hand over the revolver of his sonin- law Jaya Nayak. They also asked for the money and gold ornaments which Jaya Nayak had kept in the victim’s house around three days back.

The accused threatened the complainant at gunpoint and were brandishing other lethal weapons. They also snatched the mobile phones of the victims. They then made Samya call his son Manohar and made him come home.

For over two hours, the accused searched the entire house. They took away Rs 19 lakh in cash, which was in a suitcase kept in the bedroom, and gold ornaments worth Rs 25 lakh.

They forcefully kidnapped the father and son under the pretext of taking them to the police station for further questioning. The gang used the complainant’s car for the abduction.

The victims were taken towards Goragunttepalya, BEL Circle, MS Palya and other parts of the city. The gang demanded another Rs 20 lakh to release them. When the victims stated that they did not have any more money, the accused drove them to Gangamma Circle and got down the car.

They escaped in an auto and told victims to come to the police station whenever they were called for questioning. The father and son returned home in the evening at around 5.30 pm.

“It is a complicated case. It appears that something has gone wrong between the victims and people known to the accused. The gang knew that there was money and the revolver in the house of the complainant. Samya Nayak has given detailed statements. CCTVs in the vicinity are also being checked,” said a police officer.

Nayak used to work with a reputed city builder and had recently quit his job. The Mahalakshmi Layout police have registered a case and are further investigating.