Five masked men broke into the house of an elderly couple here in the wee hours of Tuesday, assaulted and gagged them, before decamping with gold ornaments and cash worth ₹11.15 lakh.

The dacoity took place in the residence of Venkanna Banavi, 72, at Rajnagar under the Ashoknagar police station limits in Hubballi. Mr. Banavi, who was gagged, died of asphyxiation.

According to the police, the gang broke into the house by cutting the window grill around 3 a.m. They assaulted the elderly couple and took away gold and diamond ornaments worth ₹10.9 lakh and cash of ₹25,000.

Police alerted

After they left, Mr. Banavi wife Vanamala managed to untie herself and then alerted the police.

By the time help arrived, Mr. Banavi had breathed his last. The Ashoknagar police have registered a case.