Manoj used to work in the house of south Delhi businessman S.D. Gupta (65) till last year. However, even after leaving the job, he used to visit his former employers regularly.

This evening too, Manoj `visited' the house along with two associates. Except that this time around, there was no one inside: Gupta was away at work and his wife Maya Devi (62), the only other occupant, had gone to a nearby temple.

The police suspect that Manoj gained entry into the house with a duplicate key, which he had got made on the sly. Once inside, Manoj and one of his associates, Deepak (21), cut the telephone wires and started removing whatever valuables they could lay their hands on.

They were about to leave at around 8 p.m. when Maya Devi returned from the temple. Manoj had locked the door with his key after coming inside, so Maya Devi used her key to enter the house.

Unaware of the `visitors', Maya Devi went to the bathroom, only to run into her former domestic help Manoj and Deepak. Even before she realised what was happening, one of them clamped her mouth, while the other pointed a pistol which later turned out to be a toy -- at her.

Maya Devi, however, managed to free herself and raise an alarm. Fortunately, her son-in-law Bhuvanesh came visiting around the same time. Bhuvanesh had been away from the city for some time. Soon after he returned this evening, he decided to meet his in-laws.

Bhuvanesh and Maya Devi grappled with the youths for some time and managed to detain Deepak. Manoj, on the other hand, escaped to the terrace, and jumped down.

The local police had reached the spot by that time. Besides arresting Deepak, they managed to nab the third accomplice, Pinto, who was standing outside the compound.

Doctors at the hospital, where Manoj is recuperating, described his condition as critical.