The Hindu : New Delhi News : Domestic help drugs family; flees with cash, valuables

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Monday, Mar 10, 2008
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New Delhi

Domestic help drugs family; flees with cash, valuables

Staff Reporter

Raju was employed in the 80-year-old’s
Malviya Nagar house about a week ago
Similar incident reported last month from
an Army officer’s house in Greater Kailash

NEW DELHI: An 80-year-old retired Finance Ministry joint secretary, his wife, sister-in-law and grandson were drugged by a newly employed domestic help who made off with valuables and cash from their house at Malviya Nagar here on Saturday night. The victims have been admitted to the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences.

The incident came to light when a security guard of Sarvodaya Enclave went to the house of retired joint secretary and residents’ welfare Association vice-president Shankar Lal Goel to report for duty around 10-30 p.m. on Saturday. He pressed the door-bell several times, following which Mr. Goel’s grandson Akshay, who is a Class XII student in a Saket school, opened the door. He appeared to be in a stupor.

They found Mr. Goel, his 76-year-old wife Kusum and her 64-year-old sister Anila lying in an unconscious state. The domestic help Raju Das was found missing. The house had not been ransacked, the police said. The security guard informed the neighbours. The victims were rushed to AIIMS from where Akshay was discharged soon. Mr. Goel is stated to be in a serious condition.

Akshay, whose parents live in Allahabad, told the police that the family’s permanent domestic help Chotu had left for his native place on March 1 to attend a marriage in the family. About a week ago, Mr. Goel employed Raju, a resident of Orissa, on a temporary basis but had not got his antecedents verified by the police. On Saturday evening, Raju served dinner to the family members. Akshay did not have much as he had already eaten outside. Soon after having food, Mr. Goel, his wife and his sister-in-law lost consciousness and Akshay started vomiting. It is alleged that Raju then gathered the valuables and fled away.

The police have registered a case and launched a hunt for the accused. In a similar incident reported last month, a domestic help by the same name had drugged the family of an Army officer at Greater Kailash and made away with valuables.

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