Dacoits thrash seven of two families, flee with valuables

Pune: A gang of armed dacoits assaulted seven persons of two families in Bhorwadi near Avasari Khurd village in Manchar taluka and robbed gold ornaments and cash, collectively worth Rs5.10 lakh, in the early hours of Monday.

Rajaram Shinde (54), a farmer, has lodged a complaint with the Pune rural police. Shinde, his two daughters, son and daughter-in-law sustained injuries in the attack. The dacoits also barged into the house of Shinde's neighbour, Deepak Pingle. When Pingle tried to resist them, the dacoits assaulted the latter, his mother and a relative with iron rods.

The Manchar police said that armed men barged into Shinde's house by breaking the back door around 2.45am on Monday when the family was fast asleep. "Shinde's son Somnath woke up after hearing the noise and found miscreants in the room," an officer from Manchar police said.

The officer added that when Somnath tried to resist the suspects, they assaulted him with iron rods and sharp weapons. The suspects snatched Somnath's gold chain and took cash from his wallet. When Shinde tried to intervene, they beat him too. "The suspects then snatched the gold chain of Shinde's wife, two daughters and daughter-in-law. They took cash from Shinde's son-in-law," the officer said.

The suspects then searched Shinde's house and found Rs50,000 belonging to one of his daughters. "The gang was at Shinde's house for about 90 minutes. They left the house around 4.30am and barged into Pingle's house, which is located few metres away," Shinde said.