Hustlers make off with ox, leave family in distress

BENGALURU: Hustlers have left a six-member east Bengaluru family in distress after they stole its ox 10 days ago. The family would use the animal to transport cement bags and earn Rs 800 every day.
Elumalai, 45, and Dhanalakshmi, 38, residents of Vignananagar, off Old Airport Road, have all but given up hope of getting their ox, Rama, back. Elumalai now earns a meagre Rs 350 by loading and unloading cement bags. Having suffered a fracture in his leg a couple of years ago, Elumalai can’t lug the cart, which is now gathering dust outside the 10x10ft makeshift shed where he lives with his four school-going children.

Loss of the ox has left the family of six in penury

“We bought Rama six years ago by paying Rs 55,000 that we had saved. He was my fifth child,” says Dhanalakshmi.

Rama was stolen around 5am on June 13. Recalling the day, Dhanalakshmi said, “As usual, Rama was tied to the cart outside our home. I came out at 6.30am to find him missing. CCTV footage from the area shows a few men taking him away in a Tata Sumo. Police registered a complaint only after we made several rounds to the station.”

Rama was stolen around 5am on June 13.

Dhanalakshmi works as a domestic help in the neighbourhood and earns Rs 7,000 every month. “I am now working for free because I’d to take advance to pay my children’s admission fee. Rama’s abduction has left us in penury,” she rued. The couple’s eldest child is 14 and the youngest seven.

The family would use the animal to transport cement bags and earn Rs 800 every day.

The family migrated to the city from Tamil Nadu 11 years ago and things were going well till last year when their house was burgled in their absence. “We lost all our savings then and were trying to rebuild when we lost Rama,” Dhanalakshmi said.

HAL police said unclear CCTV footage has slowed down the probe. “We have sent footage to the laboratory to identify the vehicle register number. Also, we are advising people to tie animals inside their house,” said a police officer.