Rawalpindi maid runs away with valuables worth Rs20m in ‘biggest house robbery’

Domestic helper 'intoxicates' residents, steals local, foreign currency, saving certificates and gold jewellery

RAWALPINDI: In what is being dubbed as the ‘biggest house robbery’ in the city's criminal history, a newly-hired female domestic helper ran away with valuables worth Rs20 million as her employers fell asleep after being 'intoxicated'.

The incident took place in a house on Nisar Road, within the jurisdiction of Westridge Police Station on Wednesday night. However, police have yet to registered a first information report (FIR) of the incident, Syed Mustafa Hussain, the victim said on Friday.

Syed Mustafa Hussain. PHOTO: EXPRESS

When contacted, Rawalpindi CCPO Abbas Ahsan said the complaint is being lodged at the police station concerned, adding that police have questioned the victims’ move of hiring a complete stranger as a maid. He said despite clear directives of informing the relevant police station of any such hiring, the residents of the house in question failed to comply with the regulations.



CCPO Ahsan said the Potohar SP was leading the team investigating into the incident and hoped that the culprit would soon be brought to book.

The incident took place at the residence of Hussain, a retired government officer whose daughter and son-in-law had recently returned from the United States along with all their life savings and were awaiting construction of their own house in the same street.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Hussain said that he has living in the same house for the last 25 years and their maid, identified as Taj, had been serving them for the past 20 years.

On the morning of Wednesday, March 27, Taj sent a young woman to replace her as the domestic helper, whose CNIC and other documents were to be collected on the next day, said Hussain. However, on her very first night at work, she “mixed some sedatives into our meal” and when everyone present at home fell asleep, she unlocked the cupboard and stole saving certificates worth Rs15 million, gold jewellery, Rs350,000 in cash, $900, £500 and prize bonds worth Rs75,000, he added.



Dr Fariha and her husband Dr Naeem, while speaking to The Express Tribune, said that they considered their father’s house as a safe place to keep their hard-earned money, but it proved otherwise. They regretted that the local police were not cooperating and not showing any urgency to solve the crime.

Dr Fariha. PHOTO: EXPRESS

Dr Naeem said that CCTV footage from a neighbour’s house had already been given to police, but they were yet to even inspect the crime scene.

Dr Naeem. PHOTO: EXPRESS