An audacious early-morning armed robbery at a shrine where a priest and his family live has rocked the city of Ulhasnagar. Six men armed with swords and choppers barged into the Swami Damaram Sahib Darbar around 5 am and robbed gold worth Rs 40 lakh and Rs 80,000 in cash while an accomplice kept watch outside.

The accused had tied up the male members of the family, including the priest Jacky Jagiasi, and threatened the women with their weapons. The Vitthalwadi police are investigating the case, while three crime branch teams have launched a search operation.