21-year-old maid and her lover, along with two of his accomplices, orchestrated an elaborate five-hour hostage drama on Wednesday, in the hope of robbing a Andheri-based family she worked for
Mumbai Crime: Maid, lover take family hostage for five hours
A 21-year-old house help and her boyfriend, along with two of his accomplices, orchestrated an elaborate five-hour hostage drama last afternoon, in the hope of robbing the Andheri-based Das family she worked for.
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At 3 pm on Tuesday, three men barge into the home of Chuman Das. They brandish a gun and knives. Illustrations/Ravi Jadhav
The ordeal ended only after journalist Chuman Das’ filmmaker husband, Bobby, who was in Assam shooting, called home in the evening and realised something was amiss. He then called the police who arrived within minutes. One of the robbers had even jumped from the fourth floor to escape, but was caught by the cops. The police cracked the case within hours of arresting all the accused.
They first tie up the house help and then Chuman’s mother, Ollie. They then proceed to rob the house
The drama
Around 3.15 pm, three men arrived at the door of Chuman Das, a former journalist, who now runs a film production company.
When they find just Rs 18,000, they point a gun to Chuman’s daughter’s head and demand the grandmother’s ATM card. One robber then goes to the ATM kiosk, withdraws Rs 30,000 and returns
They barged into the house when the house help, Bartha Rowla, a resident of Siliguri, opened the door and proceeded to tie her up. They then went into the bedroom, found Chuman Das’s mother, Ollie, there and tied her up as well.
At 5 pm, when Das returns home, the robbers throw her to the floor and assault her
They then asked her for money. She gave them the Rs 18,000 she had at home but they wanted more. Just then, her 6-year-old granddaughter walked into the room and the robbers grabbed her and pointed a gun to her head saying they would shoot her. Ollie Das gave them her ATM card.
Das’s husband, who is in Assam, calls the house and the robbers let Chuman pick the call
The house help’s boyfriend Samir Khan took her along with him and they withdrew R30,000. When they returned, the other two robbers had tied up the family’s driver as well. The driver had been told to enquire what had happened by Chuma’s husband Bobby Das, who was away in Assam.
The husband hears a male voice in the background using filthy language
When all his calls to the house went unanswered he told the driver to go check.
They were still harassing Ollie, when Chuman arrived home around 5 pm. They dragged her into the house and started banging her head on the ground, while her daughter watched helplessly.
He immediately calls the police, who reach the house within minutes
Husband calls
They stopped the assault when Bobby called the house again around 6.45pm. They pointed the gun at her daughter’s head in warning. Bobby realised something was amiss from the tone of Chuman’s voice and when he heard a male voice in the background using filthy language. He immediately called the police, who arrived around 7.15pm and arrested the robbers.
The robbers are caught, even the one who jumps from the fourth floor balcony
Ollie, who is still in shock, said, “I was in my bedroom when they barged inside and tried to smother me with a pillow. When they threatened my granddaughter, I told them to take whatever we had but to let her go.”
Chuman said, “They asked me for money, but I told them I did not have any. They said how come I did not have money when I ran a film production company and continued to assault me.”
Maid employed 2 years ago
When asked how long ago she had employed the main, Chuman said, “I spotted Rowla in another building where she worked and asked her to be a full time maid to look after my mother and daughter.”
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