'Where's Saraswati Vihar?'

30 June,2010 08:00 AM IST |   |  Ayush Sharma

This is the question control room cops allegedly asked when a resident called for help while a daring robbery was on at his house during a condolence meeting


This is the question control room cops allegedly asked when a resident called for help while a daring robbery was on at his house during a condolence meeting

The family of Late Kundanlal Khanija, 89, was mourning him on Tuesday. But little did his son and other family members know that yet another misfortune was about to fall upon them.


Om Prakash Khanija (left in white kurta) with cops at his house

Around noon while the Khanija family and their friends were participating in a condolence meeting at their D 820, Saraswati Vihar residence in north Delhi five masked, armed men barged into their house. They were wearing sunglasses to further prevent identification.

At the time of incident, 15 people were present in the house, of which majority were ladies between age 50-55 years. The robbers crushed any resistance and kept them at gunpoint. Some of them who tried to be courageous and thought of taking on the armed assailants were beaten up.

First, the robbers snatched away all the jewellery worn by the women. Then they took Rs 15 lakh worth of gold and diamond jewellery. However, Om Prakash Khanija, owner of the house, managed to push a robber and lock himself in a room and called the police. Khanija owns a garment shop in Jasola.

"The cops in the control room spoke with indifference and called me back after ten minutes to ask the location of Saraswati Vihar," said Khanija. His son Deepak, who was in Rani Bagh when the incident occurred, alleged that the police reached the spot half an hour late.
The police has registered an FIR launched a manhunt.

The Other Side
A senior police official said the address given by Om Prakash Khanija was misleading and therefore, they had to call back to confirm the location of the incident accurately.

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News Delhi Saraswati Vihar control room police robbery