Three killed as dacoits strike

In the skirmish that ensued, Baban Dinkar Dhumal (32), Manik Dinkar Dhumal (45) and his wife Suman (35), who received grievous injuries on their head, died on the spot.

The injured include Jaya Baban Dhumal (30) and Savitribai Dinkar Dhumal (70). They have been admitted to the government hospital in Daund. Gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 5300 were taken away by the dacoits.

Dhumalvasti is in an isolated area and formed part of the Gopalwadi village, which is three km from Daund city. The Dhumal brothers, Baban and Manik, stayed in two old mud-and-stone houses.

All the inmates of the house were sleeping outside in the open area while the houses were locked. The dacoits first battered the family members and snatched gold ornaments from them. Later they entered the house and searched for valuables. They left the house in complete disarray. Rama lost his brothers, Baban and Manik, and his sister-in law Suman, while his mother Savitribai and sister-in-law Jaya were injured. Fortunately, Baban’s three-year-old daughter Archana and one-year-old son Gorakh, escaped from the clutches of the dacoits.

Since last one month the number of dacoities, particularly in the rural areas, have been on the rise. The dacoits, interestingly, did not choose posh houses, but attacked residences of petty farm workers or such people. The booty stolen in the incidents was also not more than Rs 10,000.

An elderly woman lost her life in an armed dacoity at a small house in a farm at Valhekarwadi near Chinchwadgaon on April 19. Six other persons were seriously injured in the incident. On April 18, five persons were injured in a dacoity at a house in Hadapsar. On April 20, two separate dacoities took place at Indapur and Yevat in which eight persons were injured.