At around 6.15 am, one of the four robbers who had barged into Dubash's Feroze building home took him by surprise by striking him on the back of his neck. But Dubash, who had learnt unarmed combat tactics in the United States a few years ago, turned back instantly and fisted the right side of the robber's face.

``Even before I had finished dealing with the first robber, the second charged at me and tried to hit me on my chest and stomach. I had no choice but to kick him below the belt. He went reeling back,'' Dubash said.

After this, the third robber, who had till then been trying to gag the domestic servant Mary Borges, rushed towards Dubash with a knife. ``I defended myself again with combat techniques,'' Dubash recalled. ``It was almost a free-for-all. The robbersthrew punches at me, and I hit and kicked them all over, especially below the belt,'' he added.

The conflict continued for nearly 20 minutes, after which another domestic help Santan D'souza got a chance to slip out of the third-floor apartment. Santan immediately informed the neighbours and Dubash's relatives of the tussle, and they in turn informed police. ``Police reached the spot in less than seven minutes and arrested the accused red-handed,'' said a neighbour, preferring anonymity.

Police have identified the robber who pointed a knife at Dubash and took out money from the safe as Rambhadur Tegbahadur Vishwakarma. Sushant Saikar is the accused who tried to gag the servant. The other two robbers have been identified as Surendra Mohan Nishant and Mohammed Hussain Mohamadali. The four could have been involved in a similar crime.