Mangaluru, Jun 23: Padmanabha Kotian, a PWD contractor and entrepreneur, heroically fought with dacoits for half an hour during a looting incident at his house in Permanki of Ulaibettu on Friday night.
Padmanabha Kotian, who sustained stab injuries while resisting the dacoits, is currently receiving treatment in a city hospital. He recounted, “I came home at around 6:30 pm on Friday. Shortly after, I went to my farm. The laborers living in the shed mentioned that there was no electricity in their room. At around 7:30 pm, I took a tester and went to the laborers’ shed to see if I could fix the issue. However, I couldn’t resolve it.
“As I was returning from the farm shed, the dogs started barking. I saw seven to eight masked men jump the compound wall, surround me, and stab my leg. I fought with them for more than half an hour and screamed. Meanwhile, the dacoits went near my son and wife, showed a knife to them. My wife and son told them not to harm us and gave them the golden ornaments they were wearing and the keys to the cupboard.
“Three laborers from the farmhouse shed arrived hearing my screams. However, the dacoits threatened them with knives. The laborers left and called my relatives. Within a few minutes, the dacoits took all the golden ornaments and cash. The entire looting act was over within 45 minutes.
“I have lived in the same place for the past 15 years. Even when I was a member of the state Dharmika Parishad, I used to attend programs at temples and return late at night, but I never experienced this kind of fear. No one had threatened me either. Now there are many houses around. I have even installed CCTV cameras and other security features at my house. Still, this incident occurred.”
The gate of the house is controlled by a remote system. Moreover, the gate was locked. While entering, the dacoits jumped the wall for this reason. However, as they were leaving, they forced the house inmates to open the gate using the remote, took the keys to Kotian’s car, drove it for half a kilometer, abandoned it, and escaped in the car they arrived in.
The dacoits looted the house in a systematic manner. They knew about the CCTV cameras on the compound wall and gates. They intended to take the hard disk of the CCTV camera but, in their hurry, took the WiFi connecting equipment instead.
The dacoits spoke Hindi, but their language was not in the style of native Hindi speakers; it was more like the Hindi spoken by people from the coastal belt. Out of the nine dacoits, one did not wear a mask and was giving instructions to the others.
It is learnt that the police have gathered vital information about the vehicle in which the dacoits arrived, along with other evidence and equipment. They have also gathered information about the route the car took after the robbery.
In total, Rs 6 lac worth of golden ornaments and Rs 1.5 lac in cash were stolen. Police have formed three teams to investigate. City Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal also visited the house.
