NEW DELHI: Four armed men allegedly held an elderly couple hostage in their bungalow and assaulted them before fleeing with cash and valuables worth over Rs 1 crore in north Delhi’s Roop Nagar early Friday.Taresh Baisiwala (74) runs an auto-parts business in Kashmere Gate and lives with his wife, Archana (70). Both sustained minor injuries.At 2.30 am, the elderly man woke up to use the bathroom, but the taps had run dry. He opened the door and stepped outside to switch on the water pump. Suddenly, four armed men burst into the house, he said.Two of them grabbed Taresh while the other two overpowered his wife, who was sleeping. Two of them brandished pistols, while the others had a knife and an iron rod. One of them pointed a pistol at the elderly man’s chest and demanded gold and cash.They dragged him into a room, where he found his wife had been tied with a piece of cloth and was lying on the floor. The intruders ransacked the house and broke open cupboards before looting jewellery, silver articles and cash.“The stolen items included around 15 to 20 gold chains, 20 to 25 gold rings, two silver idols weighing around 2kg each, a 3kg silver idol, around 1,000 silver coins, five gold guineas, a gold necklace set, a silver waistband and around Rs 10 lakh in cash,” the elderly man told police.Two of the men were wearing helmets, he added, describing all four as being around 30-35 years old. He will be able to identify them if brought before him, he told police.The couple were injured during the assault and were taken to Hindu Rao Hospital for medical examination. The man suffered a bruise on his right lower back and an abrasion on his left cheek, while his wife’s report mentioned an abrasion and swelling on her lower lip.The businessman told police that he visits his office three days a week and works from home on the remaining days. Two maids and a gardener work at his house. Police are probing whether an insider might have provided information about the couple’s routine and valuables.An FIR was registered under sections 309(4) (robbery), 311 (robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police have launched an investigation to identify and trace the four suspects.
