The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Bandits strike terror in suburb

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 10, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Bandits strike terror in suburb

By Our Staff Reporter

The kitchen window through which the masked robbers broke into the house at Mudichur on Thursday. — Photo: K. V. Srinivasan

CHENNAI, SEPT. 9. Four masked burglars broke into a government employee's house at Mudichur — a sparsely populated panchayat five kilometres off National Highway 47 near Tambaram — in the early hours of Thursday and escaped with 46 sovereigns of gold jewellery, silver articles and over Rs. 30,000 in cash.

Chengai East Police, who swung into action quickly, detained several kuravas (gypsies) in the afternoon at the C-7 Peerkankaranai station. Senior police officials said in the evening they were yet to get any clear leads but expressed confidence that they would solve the case within a week.

The masked robbers, armed with knives and logs, broke into the residence of D. Vasudevan, an employee of the Mudichur Panchayat, on Appavu Street around 2 a.m. They entered the premises through a wicket gate in the backyard and removed the grills of the kitchen window. Three of them entered the kitchen and proceeded to the storeroom, broke open an almirah and stole the jewellery, cash, silver articles and some property documents.

Inmates asleep

The gang then went to the bedroom, where Mr. Vasudevan, his wife and two school-going children were asleep. Mr. Vasudevan told The Hindu that he was shocked at the sight of the three burglars trying to remove valuables from the almirah in the bedroom.

"They were all carrying huge knives. Had I raised the alarm, they would have attacked my entire family. We would not have had a chance..."

Mr. Vasudevan waited for the burglars to move out of the bedroom first. As soon as one of the burglars moved closer to the door to pass the valuables to the others waiting outside, Mr. Vasudevan made his move. He pushed the burglar nearest the door onto the others waiting outside and slammed the door. His wife then woke up and rushed to his aid; both put their weight against the door to keep it shut, but were unable to bolt the door. The time must have been 2.30 a.m., he said.

"For five minutes, there was a tussle between us and the gang. Every time the door was forced slightly to our side, I would see the knives and push back hard. My daughter (who is studying in fourth standard) started wailing. The burglars abused me and asked me to open the door or else ...," his voice choked. They spoke Tamil, he said.

Neighbours to the rescue

Luckily for Mr. Vasudevan, the phone was in the bedroom. His wife immediately called up neighbours and relatives even as he summoned every ounce of his strength to hold the door. One of his relatives also called up the police station.

The neighbours immediately rushed out of their homes and started shouting at the burglars. The gang immediately made its way out of the house but threatened the people gathered outside with their knives. The residents then chased the gang through the agricultural fields nearby. One of Mr. Vasudevan's relatives recalled, "we chased them for nearly a kilometre before they vanished into the night."

A police patrol vehicle arrived at the scene of crime shortly thereafter, according to the Chengai East ASP, M. K. Rathore.

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