Erode: In a shocking heist past midnight here on Wednesday, miscreants broke into the house of a private firm's top executive, tied up the family members after threatening them with sickles and robbed them of 35 sovereigns of gold and diamond jewels, before bolting away with their ATM cards and mobile phones.
Police said on Thursday that Ramanathan, 52, manager with a private dyeing unit, his wife Valliammai, 48 and their younger son, Sriram, 16, after locking their compound gate had as usual retired to bed on the first floor of their house when the gang members suddenly struck around 1 am.
Hearing the noise from the house break-in, Ramanathan and others woke up but by then the miscreants had entered the house, threatened them with deadly sickles and knives and dragged them away into another room where they tied all three with rope.
Police said the miscreants had switched off all the lights in the house, their mobile phones and flashed a torch to threaten them with the dangerous weapons they had and seeking to know where their valuables and cash was kept.
When Valliammai declined to answer their posers, she was hit on her right hand and suffered injury. The miscreants then took away whatever they could lay their hands on in the house, including 35 sovereigns of gold and diamond jewellery, besides an LED television, police said.
Angered at not finding any cash in the house, the gang members again threatened them, took over the family members' ATM cards, besides six smart phones before bolting away. Ramanathan, his wife and son then managed to free themselves and with help of neighbours informed the police.
The Soorampatti police rushed to the spot and are investigating, even as one person was arrested today in connection with the robbery.
