Patna: In a chilling incident of armed robbery, a gang of seven to eight dacoits looted valuables worth around Rs 54 lakh from the house of an IT programmer in the Phulwarisharif area of Patna, holding the entire family hostage for several hours. Before fleeing, one of the accused reportedly folded his hands and apologised to the victim’s mother, saying he was committing the crime out of desperation to feed himself.
The incident took place at around 1.30 am on December 9 at the residence of Pushkar Kumar, located in Sonalika Cooperative Colony under the Bypass police station limits. The dacoits allegedly broke into the house after damaging the grill near the staircase and quickly overpowered the family.
According to the police and the victim’s family, Pushkar Kumar, his parents, wife and other family members were tied with ropes and locked inside a room. When some family members resisted, the dacoits attacked them with knives, injuring one man and one woman.
Recounting the ordeal, Pushkar’s mother said the accused kept shouting and repeatedly demanded to know where more cash was kept. “When I told them that this was all the money we had, they became aggressive. I swore on my son, grandson and husband, after which they believed me and calmed down,” she said, adding that she sustained minor cuts on her fingers while trying to defend herself.
Before leaving the house, one of the dacoits allegedly stood in front of the family with folded hands and said, “You people will earn again, but this is a matter of my survival.”
Pushkar Kumar is employed with the Information Technology Department. The family’s house is located in a relatively isolated area, with no nearby residences. Police said the accused first entered the first floor, where Pushkar’s father, Pankaj Kumar, was sleeping. He was taken hostage, while other family members were in a separate room. The dacoits later broke open the door, confined everyone to a single room, snatched their mobile phones and proceeded to ransack the house.
All almirahs and lockers were broken open, and valuables worth approximately Rs 54 lakh were looted. The accused also damaged CCTV cameras and the DVR installed at the house. Before fleeing, they threw the mobile phones of Pushkar, his wife and mother into the toilet to delay any immediate call for help. Police said the dacoits had parked their vehicle some distance away and escaped swiftly after the robbery.
Traumatised by the incident, the family remained indoors for nearly three days and did not immediately approach the police. A written complaint was finally lodged at Bypass police station on December 12. “The fear was so intense that we did not step out of the house for two days,” Pushkar told the police.
Additional SHO of Bypass police station, Anmol Kumar, said the delay in reporting the crime could hamper certain aspects of the investigation, including the effectiveness of the dog squad. “Despite the delay, the case is being thoroughly investigated with the help of forensic science experts,” he said.
Police have begun examining CCTV footage from nearby areas and are working to identify and trace the accused. Further investigation in the case is underway.
