A group of six dacoits attacked a family of three with deadly weapons and decamped with jewels and valuables worth around Rs 2 lakh from their house in Keelminnal Kollakodai in Rathinagiri police station limits during the small hours of Friday.
P Palani (60), wife Saguntha (52), who lived in a house on their farm were asleep in front of the house, while their son Muruganandam (30) slept on the terrace. The dacoits brandishing sharp knives attacked the couple and snatched Saguntha’s thali and jewels, who screamed for help.
On hearing his mother’s screams, Muruganandam rushed down. He too was attacked when he tried to rescue his parents. The dacoits locked all three of them inside the house and looted ` 80,000 cash, four cell phones, a laptop and 10 sovereign of jewels.
The miscreants also stole a motorbike and a moped from the victim’s house. Palani and his family, who were locked in the house shouted for help, but in vain as their house was located in a sugarcane field.
When the land owner of the neighbouring field came to graze his cattle, he found them locked in and alerted the police.
A few hours later, police received information that the stolen bikes were abandoned near Thiruvalam railway bridge near Karnampattu. The victims were treated at the nearby government hospital.
A case was registered and investigations began. Experts from the forensic wing were pressed into service to lift fingerprints from the house.