The five-member gang, suspected to belong to Stuartpuram, unleashed a reign of terror by wielding lethal weapons. They spent three full hours in the house from 2.30 to 5.30 a.m. collecting their booty coolly. Before fleeing they even had a shower! Clad in knickers with 'lungis' and their faces covered with handkerchiefs, the dacoits were conversing in a Telugu accent spoken around Guntur area.
According to the police, the gang entered the house of R. Rajesh, who owns a printing press at Khairatabad, by breaking open window grills with a screwdriver. One offender first entered through the window and opened the bolt of the rear side door. After coming into the house, the gang entered Rajesh's mother Samrajyam's room.
One offender sat on her chest while others encircled her threatening that they would kill her if she raised an alarm. When the elderly woman tried to alert her neighbours, they gagged her mouth and beat her up with the blunt edge of the knife resulting in injuries to her. The intruders then woke up her son Rajesh and daughter-in-law Pavani. They tore a bedsheet and tied their hands and legs with it.
The dacoits later snatched the almirah keys and stole gold jewellery and other valuables, Rajesh told reporters. "They also asked me for liquor or a cool drink. When I told them that I do not consume liquor, they checked a bathroom-cleaning acid bottle kept in a shelf asking whether it was a liquor bottle. They left after taking bath," Rajesh said.
