Jewellery & cash looted, 1 stabbed in Begusarai

BEGUSARAI: Armed criminals looted jewellery and cash from the house of one Kapileshwar Mandal under the Ratanpur police outpost, but hardly 100 metres away from Begusarai town police station, at around 5.30am on Sunday. The criminals also stabbed his son Rajiv Mandal and thrashed the women members of his family for showing reluctance in handing them over the keys of steel almirahs.
Mandal, who has jewellery and garment business, claimed that the robbers decamped with jewellery and cash worth over Rs50 lakh. Ratanpur police outpost SHO Sudha Kumari said they were trying to identify the criminals from the CCTV footage of the cameras installed near the spot. She said the actual value of the property looted could be ascertained after thorough scrutiny.
Mandal said the robbers knocked at the main door of the house.
“One of us opened the door thinking that the maid had arrived. However, as soon as the door opened, two armed criminals wearing masks stormed into the house. At least three more with arms soon followed them. As it was very early in the morning, most of the family members were sleeping inside their rooms. They entered all the rooms and held all the members captive after tying them with ropes and putting tape on their mouth. One of the criminals stabbed Rajiv when he raised an alarm. They also threatened to kill the children if any of us further tried to raise an alarm,” Mandal said.
The criminals remained inside the house for over an hour while the frightened family members kept watching them opening the almirahs and taking the jewellery and cash.
“It was only after the criminals made a safe escape that we raised alarm and the neighbours came for help and admitted Rajiv to a private nursing home,” he said.