Four unidentified armed assailants barged into the house of a garment trader, held his family hostage and robbed articles from the house worth Rs 7 lakh. Police officials said the incident was reported in H-970, Chand Mohalla, Gandhi Nagar area of East Delhi.

On Monday, around 6.45 am, the trader, Mukut Bansal (57) and his son were sleeping in their third floor residence when someone knocked on the door.

Bansal’s wife, Madhu had gone outside to buy milk. When Bansal opened the door, when four assailants, armed with countrymade pistols, barged into the house brandishing their weapons. Police said that two of the accused took the businessman and his son, Honey, hostage.

“The robbers asked for the keys of the lockers and took out jewellery worth Rs 2 lakh besides Rs 5 lakh in cash from the lockers. The assailants were familiar with the plan of the house,” said a police official.

The police officer said while the robbers were busy ransacking the house, Bansal’s wife returned home and tried to raise an alarm. However, she was spotted by one of the assailants and taken hostage.

“She was threatened with dire consequences if she screamed. By then, the family’s domestic help also reached the place, and she, too, was held hostage. The robbers got out of the house, locked the door from outside and fled the spot,” the official added.

The family was rescued by neighbours after they screamed for help. Bansal then called up the police. Bansal’s wife, Madhu, and their help were taken to the hospital for first aid.

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