Mumbai crime: 71-yr-old drugged with sleeping pills, robbed by maid

A 71yearold resident of Guru Nanak Nagar in Khar West was made to consume 30 sleeping pills by her caretaker who then walked away with gold worth Rs 5 lakh and Rs 60000 in cash from her home Meherunnisa Khan who suffers from arthritis regained consciousness only after four days at Holy Family Hospital after her neighbour found her unconscious The Bandra police arrested the caretaker from Chhattisgarh last morningMeherunnisa Khan who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis has been bedridden for the past 20 years PicSatyajit DesaiThe crime was committed on December 23 at her flat in Jyoti Sadan building Sangita Alfans Kerketta 30 Khanrsquos caretaker offered her milk that was spiked with 30 sleeping pills ldquoShe Kerketta had left the house keys and the contact number on the door of the house The next day I noticed that the door to Mrs Khanrsquos house had not been opened for long I opened the door and found her lying unconscious I rushed her to Holy Family Hospitalrdquo said the victimrsquos nextdoor neighbour Mohini JiwnaniMeherunnisa Khan has been living alone at the mercy of caretakers PicSatyajit DesaiJiwnani stated that the pills belonged to her and since she was addicted to them her husband had kept them in Khanrsquos house There were eight different kinds of drugs and 30 pills in all All of them have been missing since the date of the incident ldquoOnly God knows from how long she had been mixing the pills in my food and milk In the month of November soon after Kerketta joined as my caretaker I had a similar attack I was rushed to the hospital then and treated immediately and we assumed it happened because of weaknessrdquo said KhanKhan added ldquoTo prove that she was a good worker she cleaned the house two days before administering the pills to me I never suspected her because she stayed on in November after giving me the pills for the first timerdquo Khan who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis has been bedridden for the past 20 years Her only son Sajid Khan is employed as a landscape manager in an American company based in Saudi ArabiaFor the last 20 years Khan has been living alone in the city at the mercy of caretakers Kerketta was employed in the month of November on a monthly salary of Rs 7000 ldquoMy son visits me once in a year and stores all my requirements in the house For daily chores I have to depend on the caretakersrdquo Khan saidKerketta also stole new clothes and utensils According to Jiwnani Kerketta had called the next morning to find out how Khan was ldquoShe enquired with me about the lsquoauntyrsquo and I told her that whatever she did was very wrong But she immediately disconnected the phonerdquo After Jiwnani informed Khanrsquos son about the incident her daughterinlaw Sumaiya flew back to India and is now tending to the elderly womanrsquos needsFollowing the complaint made by Khanrsquos relatives cops have taken serious note of the incident and had booked Kerketta on charges of attempt to murder Assistant Police Inspector Mukul Yadav of Bandra police station said ldquoWe came to know after investigations that the accused had fled to Chhattisgarh We tracked her down and arrested her this morning She has confessed to giving the pills to KhanBut she has not opened up about the belongings that were stolen from Khanrsquos residencerdquo The caretaker has been arrested under sections 307 attempt to murder 328 causing hurt by means of poison 381 theft by clerk or servant of property in possession of master and 24 dishonesty of the IPC