Two servants who tried to throttle Bandra resident were nabbed while trying to flee to Nepal
Two servants who tried to throttle Bandra resident were nabbed while trying to flee to Nepal
His presence of mind ensured that 79-year-old Arthur D'souza didn't become a statistic in the long list of people killed by their domestic helps.
D'souza played dead when his servants, Prakash Sunar (19) and Bharat Singh (20), tried to throttle him early Wednesday morning. "I feared for my life," said D'souza yesterday, after the would-be killers were caught.
What happened
D'souza, who suffers from cancer, lives in a bungalow on Hill Road, Bandra with his dog. Three months ago, he hired Sunar. But on March 1, Sunar told him he wanted to go to his hometown in Nepal for his sister's wedding. After D'souza insisted he find a replacement, Sunar brought Singh home.
At 3 am on Wednesday, as planned, Singh let Sunar into the bungalow. They drugged the dog and throttled D'souza who was sleeping. Presuming him to be dead, they tied him with a bed sheet, ransacked the entire house and cut the phone connection. But they could find only Rs 35,000 in cash. The duo slept in the house till morning.
In the meantime, D'souza who pretended to be dead, managed to set himself free and called a neighbour for help. Prakash George, senior inspector, Bandra police station, said they succeeded in nabbing Sunar and Singh within 24 hours and recovered Rs 30,000 from them.
D'souza said he's learnt his lesson. He wants to register himself with a Mumbai police helpline. "I trusted these boys, but they betrayed me. I am scared of hiring anybody for work hereafter," he said.
While hiring domestic help...
Antecedents of domestic servants should be verified wherever possible through the police. Keeping a record of fingerprints, photographs and personal details of all domestic servants may be useful. Whenever a domestic servant is removed for misconduct, it must be intimated to the local police immediately.
ADVERTISEMENT
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
