Presence of mind helped an elderly couple, owning a coffee estate, to thwart an attempt by dacoits to extract Rs 2 lakhs, as they managed to alert their kin over phone under the pretext of asking for cash at nearby hill town of Yercaud.
Estate owner Usman Saith (78) and his wife Nisha Saith (68) were asleep, when a gang of masked men armed with knives broke into their bungalow and threatened them at knife point to part with their money and valuables last night, police said today.
Though the couple handed over 21 sovereigns of gold jewels and Rs 35,000 cash, the gang demanded Rs 2 lakh more.
When Usman told them that he did not have that much cash at home, they asked him to ring up his relatives.
Complying with their demand, Usman called his brother over phone but using presence of mind he spoke in Urdu, which the gang could not understand, and apprised him of the situation, under the pretext of asking for the money.
As the brother arrived along with more men, the gang fled the scene sensing trouble, albeit with the jewels and Rs 35,000 cash.
