SURAT, June 29: A band of about 20 armed dacoits broke into the house of a former sarpanch at Naroli village in the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli early on Sunday, and made off with jewellery, cash and other valuables worth Rs 4 lakh after beating up the watchman, the former sarpanch Natwarsinh Chauhan, and his nephew Nailesh, and injured their wives when they tugged at the gold earrings they were wearing. The Silvassa police are investigating the case.According to official information, the masked men were armed with knives, pipes, axes and other weapons. Nailesh has since been admitted to the Janseva Hospital in a serious condition, while the others are being treated at the Hariya Hospital.
Dog squads of the Silvassa police, who arrived on the scene soon after the incident, have so far been unsuccessful in tracking down the dacoits, though checking has been stepped up at all the exit points in Bhilad, Karambela, Vapi and other places.
The police said that the dacoits, who were reported to be speaking Hindi and Gujarati, might have come from neighbouring Maharashtra and could be one of the gangs active in Panchmahals and Godhra.
The incident comes immediately after armed bandits made a futile attempt to loot the Swaminarayan temple at Vapi. Though three people alerted the locals on spotting the dacoits, all three were assaulted by them before they escaped. The police are investigating to see if the two incidents are related.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
