BENGALURU: A 54-year-old gynaecologist in west Bengaluru faced a harrowing ordeal when her domestic helpers allegedly drugged her and stole valuables, including gold ornaments, cash and mobile phone.
The incident occurred on the night of Dec 2 at her Bharath Nagar residence, leaving the family shaken but unharmed. The next morning, Dr Lalitha was found near her bedroom door, disoriented and barely able to speak.
The family had employed a couple from Nepal through a known intermediary, just a month prior to the incident. The couple was accommodated on the ground floor of their multi-storey home on III Cross.
On the night of Dec 2, Lakitha's son Nikhil KM, a graduate student, took medication for fever and went to bed at 6.30pm. The next day, at 7.30am, he found his mother lying on the floor. She seemed to ask him to check on the domestic helpers. Rushing to the ground floor, Nikhil was stunned to find that the couple had already vacated the accommodation, taking their belongings with them.
Acting swiftly, Nikhil called relatives and Dr Lalitha was taken to a hospital for treatment. Nikhil noticed that several valuables, including a 50-gram gold mangalya chain and 20 grams of gold bangles, were missing. Lalitha, still not fully conscious, indicated that cash stored in a cupboard had also been taken.
Suspecting foul play, Nikhil reviewed the house's CCTV footage, which revealed that at 8.30pm on Dec 2, domestic help Bipendra had entered the house with accomplices and left around 10.45pm, taking belongings from the ground floor with them.
Nikhil told TOI: "As I had an exam on Dec 3, I took medicines early and went to bed. Using this opportunity, our domestic helpers sedated my mother and fled with valuables. She is out of danger now."
A police officer pointed to negligence on the part of the family, saying they had hired the couple through a known person, but had collected minimal information. "They only knew Bipendra's name and had no details about his wife. Proper documentation was not done," the officer said.
A case has been registered at Byadarahalli police station under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 306 (theft by clerk or servant of property in possession of master).
"We keep reminding people of the importance of getting their employees verified, collecting ID proofs and other details. Hiring unknown people for domestic work or as security guards through proper channels is recommended, said deputy commissioner of police (northwest) DL Nagesh.
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HM Chaithanya Swamy is a Special Correspondent at The Times of In...
Read MoreHM Chaithanya Swamy is a Special Correspondent at The Times of India, Bengaluru, with 15 years of experience. He has established a strong reputation in crime and civic reporting, covering a wide range of issues including traffic challenges, cybercrime, and criminal trends in Bengaluru. His reporting spans high-profile investigations led by agencies including National Investigation Agency (NIA), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and Directorate of Enforcement (ED), as well as key state police agencies, court proceedings, and crimes against women and children.
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