Five robbers struck at ‘Ranjit Shruti’, a one-storey bungalow in Juchandra village in Vasai, and attacked five members of the Patil family, including head Atmaram (65), his wife Nanda (60), their sons Sanjay (30) and Ajit (25) and a relative Eknath when they refused to hand over cash and valuables, the police said. The robbers, however, spared Sanjay’s wife Kamini who handed over cash to them without any opposition, the police said.

According to Kamini, the robbers, wearing vests and briefs and armed with sticks and rods, struck between 3.15am and 3.30 am on Sunday.

“The robbers broke open the door and first attacked Sanjay and Ajit with sticks. They later attacked Atmaram and Nanda. But they spared Kamini as she did not resist and handed over cash to them. Then they broke open the locker in a cupboard and took away cash and jewellery,” said Pandharinath Mandre, senior police inspector with the Manikpur police station. “The robbers had even bolted the doors of the neighbours before striking at the Patils’ home,” he said.

Kamini, who has not even completed a year of her marriage to Sanjay, said: “When I told them that I was wearing artificial jewellery, they even asked for it. They had also cut the telephone line in the house. But I managed to call our relative through my mobile.”

“Immediately help came in the form of Sanjay’s brother Eknath who resides in the neighbourhood. But even he was attacked by the accused,” said Mandare, adding that the robbers then fled.

The injured family members were admitted to Bombay Hospital and are reportedly out of danger, said Mandare.

“We suspect that it could be a handiwork of the Pardhis going by the modus operandi,” said Thane Superintendent of Police Naval Bajaj.

After a spate of robberies last year, the police had come hard on the Pardhi gang and most of them are behind the bars now. “But they continue to operate in small groups,” said Bajaj.