Puri: Defying tall claims of the police here in this district to present a crime-free ‘Dussehra’, three miscreants barged into a house and hacked a couple injuring them severely. The couple had not paid the extortion money demanded by the goons.
Sarat Chandra Mishra and Susmita Rath also alleged that help from the police was not forthcoming. They said that only on the fourth attempt of dialing 100, someone answered the phone. “We were soaked in blood and instead of helping us, the person on the other side snapped the connection rudely telling us to go to the hospital,” the couple said in unison, Sunday.
Sarat, a resident of Mangala Ghat Golasahi under Sadar police limits, later lodged a complaint.
In his complaint Sarat has mentioned that it was around 4.30pm when the miscreants attacked him and his wife. “I was watching TV and my wife was in the kitchen,” informed Sarat.
He then said that the goons demanded Rs 20 lakh from him. When he refused, one of them tried to hit him on the head with a sharp weapon. “Luckily I managed to put up my left hand and managed to deflect the blow,” Sarat said.
Hearing Sarat’s screams his wife Sushmita tried to help him. In the process she also received cuts on both her hands. The miscreants then left the house after ransacking the furniture. “They have threatened to kill us if we don’t pay up,” informed Sarat.
When contacted, inspector-in-charge Debashis Mishra said investigation has already been started and the suspects would soon be nabbed.
Meanwhile SP Umashankar Dash informed that there was no information regarding the misbehaviour Sarat faced after calling up 100. “If a proper complaint is lodged, we will certainly probe the matter,” Dash said.
PNN