In a shocking daylight incident, five armed men stormed the residence of real estate businessman Mainuddin Pathan at Asad Khan Society, near the Belagavi Urban Development Authority (BUDA) office, and held his family at gunpoint before fleeing. According to police sources, the gang forced entry around 1:30 pm, threatened Mainuddin’s wife and daughter with firearms, and locked them in a bathroom.
The women managed to cry out for help through a bathroom window, drawing the attention of neighbours, which forced the intruders to escape. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Niranjan Raje Urs, Assistant Commissioner of Police Sadashiv Katti, and Malmaruti police personnel arrived soon after and conducted a detailed inspection.
DCP Urs informed the media that the apartment building, owned by Pathan, was fully rented out, with Pathan living in one of the units. He pointed out that the absence of security guards made it easy for the gang to access the premises. At the time of the incident, Mainuddin’s wife was in the kitchen when the assailants entered and threatened her, demanding Mainuddin’s location. She indicated towards the hall where her paralysed husband was seated. Their daughter entered the kitchen moments later and was also held at gunpoint. The two women were then locked inside a bathroom but managed to bolt it from within and scream for help, alerting neighbours. As a small crowd gathered outside, the gang, sensing trouble, misled the onlookers and fled the area.
Police reported that the attackers did not cover their faces and conversed in Urdu. “They asked for Mainuddin by name, which raises suspicion whether this was a robbery or something else,” DCP Urs stated. He added that three of the five men were armed, appeared familiar with the area, and that authorities are reviewing CCTV footage for more leads. Police have urged the family’s full cooperation in identifying the culprits as the investigation continues.
