Fifty-year-old Devrambhai Premjibhai Patel, who was attacked with sticks and spears, died.

Around 1.15 am on Tuesday, the father of the deceased, Premjibhai, was woken up when he was sleeping outside the house located on the road from Pirana to Miroli, 25 km from Ahmedabad. The miscreants asked him to surrender all the valuables that he had. Despite giving them the money, he was beaten up and told to ``open Haribhai's house''. Haribhai is the deceased's brother and lives in the same house. The assailants, who were armed with sticks, spades and spears, had earlier cut off the telephone connections to the house.

Haribhai, meanwhile, managed to escape in the commotion. While none of Haribhai's family members were attacked, deceased Devrambhai's two daughters and wife, and his employee Kanubhai Fatehsinh Darbar were reportedly beaten up with sticks.

When Devram came out of the house on hearing the noise, ``he was surrounded and some 10 to 15 people beat him on the head with sticks,'' said a tearful Premjibhai. Premjibhai too was assaulted. ``There were more than 25 to 30 people and everyone there was beaten up,'' he said. ``They cut off Hiraben's (Devram's wife) ear to take the earrings,'' he said, adding that the daughters were beaten when the cupboard with the valuables did not open.

According to Premjibhai, the group of young men then entered Devrambhai's house and looted ornaments and cash worth Rs 5,100. Though a case of dacoity has been registered, sources indicated that there could be another motive.

Interestingly, villagers in the area said the house of Devram's elder brother, Ambalal, was attacked in a similar manner last year. ``The attackers were chased away then,'' said Jayantibhai, Devrambhai's cousin and a resident of nearby Paldi village where Ambalal resided.