85-Year-old woman robbed at knifepoint in Vile Parle home

On the day of the incident, Dichwalkar had left for a function organised by his daughter. Around 12:30 p.m., two unidentified men knocked on the door. When Radhabai answered, they forced their way inside, one brandishing a knife and the other carrying a white bag.

“The assailants took the elderly woman to her bedroom, covered her mouth with their hand, and pushed her onto the bed. They then restrained her hands, feet, and mouth with cellotape,” a police officer said.

To avoid detection, the assailants turned on the television and raised the volume before confronting the domestic help, Sangita, in the kitchen. She, too, was tied up in a similar manner.

The robbers ransacked the house, broke into a cupboard, and stole cash, necklaces, bangles, rings, and earrings worth approximately Rs 8 lakh in total before fleeing the scene.

Dichwalkar returned later in the day to find the door ajar. Inside, he discovered his mother lying tied up on the bed and the house help restrained on the floor. He immediately alerted his family and reported the incident to the Vile Parle police.

A case has been registered under sections 309(4) (robbery), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), and 3(9) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Investigators suspect that the robbers may have acted on inside information, as the crime occurred soon after Dichwalkar left the house.