BENGALURU: A 68-year-old retired DRDO officer was murdered while his wife sustained severe injuries after four security guards barged into their apartment and robbed them.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday in Mahadevapura police limits.
The deceased is Rajappan Pillai, a resident of Pai Layout near B Narayanapura. He and his wife Usha (60), a housewife, were staying in a flat apartment complex. Pillai worked as an administrative officer in DRDO and shifted to the flat after retirement.
Police said, at around 12.45 am, the four men knocked on the apartment door. Pillai opened it after identifying security guard Arun. Arun and his friends barged in immediately, pushing the elderly man aside. When Pillai tried to raise alarm, they attacked him with an iron rod and a knife.
Hearing the commotion, Usha woke up and ran to the drawing room. The gang attacked her with a knife and locked her in a room.
They then ransacked the house and escaped with valuables, including gold and silver articles, and `3 lakh.
Later, Usha managed to alert neighbours by screaming for help. Some neighbours rushed to the house and gave the four men a chase, catching Surendar Kadak, who is in police custody. They also shifted Usha to a private hospital where she is recovering.
A senior police officer told Express that Arun was hired as security guard at Yurane just two weeks ago. He was appointed through reference, and not an agency. He is said to have kept a watch on the elderly couple and hatched a plan with a few friends, also security guards, to rob them. Police recovered the stolen cash from Surendar, but the jewellery is with the other three men. A special team has been formed to nab them.
BE ON YOUR GUARD!