The Uttarakhand Police is yet to achieve a breakthrough in the armed robbery case at the residence of noted author Stephen Alter in Mussoorie on Thursday. Alter and his wife Amita sistained multiple injuries after being attacked by sharp-edged weapons.

On Thursday morning, four robbers entered Alter’s house, situated in Mussoorie's cantonment area. They knocked at the kitchen door and barged in when Amita opened it. She was attacked with knives and sticks when she resisted their entry into the house.

On hearing the commotion, Alter went into the kitchen only to be attacked by the assailants. The couple struggled with the robbers for about half an hour. The robbers then tied up their hands and feet and fled with jewellery and other household items. Alter managed to get out and call for help. The couple were taken to the community hospital and the police were informed.

IG Police (Garhwal Range) Ashok Kumar told The Indian Express: “Because of incessant rain, the footprints of the robbers have been washed away. The sniffer dogs also lost trail after a hundred feet.”

When asked about the spiralling number of murders, Ashok Kumar said: “It is not that the crime graph is rising. It is true that we have not been able to solve some cases. In a tourist place like Mussoorie that has a large number of visitors, it is difficult to identify criminals.”