Armed robbers assault pregnant woman in Bengaluru, flee with valuables worth Rs 7 lakh

Bengaluru: A gang of three armed men attacked a pregnant woman at her east Bengaluru home and fled with gold ornaments and cash worth over Rs 7.4 lakh.The miscreants allegedly subjected Athifa Banu, 25, to a brutal assault on the night of Jan 26 and inserted a knife into her mouth and twisted it, causing injuries.According to a complaint filed by the homemaker's husband Sameer Khan (26), the incident occurred between 11pm and 12.30am when she was alone. Athifa lives with her husband and in-laws on the first floor of the house at Govindapura, while the ground floor is rented out.On the night of the incident, Sameer, who stepped out for work, received a call from his sister asking him to visit a hospital where their mother was admitted."As I was heading to the hospital around 12.30am, I received a call from my tenant who said there was an emergency in the building and asked me to return immediately," Sameer told TOI.The pharmacist said a miscreant hiding near a van tried to attack him with a dagger and machete as he was rushing back home. Sameer managed to escape, and when he went upstairs, he saw three miscreants threatening Athifa at knifepoint. When he questioned them, they attempted to attack him with a machete and soon fled the place.Sameer found his wife bleeding from the mouth. She told him that there was a knock on the door, and when she opened it, the three men barged into the house.The miscreants allegedly found four gold bangles weighing about 40 grams, two silver bracelets, two artificial necklaces, and Rs 4 lakh in cash.While fleeing, the miscreants reportedly left behind a Suzuki Burgman scooter and two mobile phones, which police later seized and launched a manhunt.The miscreants were wearing masks and appeared to be in their 20s. Athifa, who is pregnant with her first child, is recovering from her injuries, a senior officer said.