Pune: A 60-year-old woman was tied up, gagged with a sari and threatened with a knife by three unidentified men who broke into her bungalow while she was asleep and robbed her of gold jewellery, cash and other valuables worth Rs53.70 lakh in Talawade in the early hours of Tuesday.The woman later approached the Chikhali police and lodged a complaint.Senior police inspector Ranjit Jadhav of Chikhali police said the complainant lives on the first floor of her two-storey bungalow in Talawade, while her son stays on the ground floor with his family. The family owns several land parcels in the area, which have been rented out. “Around 1.30am on Tuesday, three unidentified men broke the locks of the main door and barged into the house. One of them sat on the woman while she was fast asleep and gagged her with a sari. His accomplices tied up her limbs. They also beat her and threatened her with a knife,” Jadhav said.The accused allegedly robbed the bungalow of 680gm of gold jewellery worth Rs48.25 lakh, Rs5,000 in cash, silver jewellery worth Rs30,000, a cellphone and a wristwatch. The stolen valuables were collectively worth Rs53.70 lakh, the police said. “After the trio left, the woman somehow managed to free herself and alerted her son and daughter-in-law,” Jadhav said.The officer said senior police officers visited the spot after receiving information about the robbery. There were no CCTV cameras on the bungalow premises. “We have obtained CCTV footage from neighbouring establishments and are working on some clues,” he said.The police suspect that the accused may have conducted a recce of the bungalow before executing the robbery. “We have formed teams to trace the accused,” Jadhav said.The Chikhali police registered a case under sections 311 (robbery or dacoity with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 126 (wrongful restraint) and 331 (house-trespass) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
