Kerala: Family robbed on road, cops in search of duo

Thrissur: Highway robbers attacked a family including a three-year-old baby and a pregnant woman at 2.30 a.m. near Vyasa College bus stop at Wadakkanchery on Monday and decamped with gold earrings, gold locket, mobile phone and Rs 2000. Vinod Kumar of Panjajanyam at Ramanadapuram in Palakkad was travelling with his wife Rajalakshmi and son Varun in an old car when they were allegedlyattacked by bike-borne robbers who first assisted the family by pushing to start the car as its battery was down and later allegedly robbed them when they stopped 200 metres away to rectify wipers as it was raining.

Rajalakshmi and the boy fell on the road as the robbers allegedly tried to snatch her chain. Wadakkanchery SI KC Ratheesh told DC that IPC 394 (voluntarily causing hurt during robber) had been slapped on the two robbers whom the family can identify.  The section invites an imprisonment of 14 years but charges of Highway robbery was excluded as it has punishment up to only 10 years.

The robbers were travelling on a splendor bike. Wadakkanchery police said that the family was suspicious of the two persons who first assisted them and later robbed them.The place where the stopped to check the wiper was a secluded area, police added. There is a highway patrol team but on this Thrissur-Shornur State Highway 23, they were at a different location when incident happened, police said. The family was shown pictures of some seasoned robbers at Wadakkanchery station, but none matched with the assailants.