TIRUPUR: Four masked men robbed a couple at knifepoint at their farmhouse near Udumalpet in Tirupur district in the early hours of Thursday.According to police, Arulkumar, 47, and his wife, Brindha, 35, are residing at their farmhouse in Ravunapuram near Udumalpet. Around 2am, Arulkumar stepped out of the house on hearing their pet dog barking continuously. Four masked men, who were hiding near the house, surrounded him. One of them held a knife at his throat. Another man threatened Brindha at knifepoint.The gang threatened to kill the couple if they failed to hand over cash and jewellery. While two men kept the couple under threat, the others entered the house, broke open a bureau and stole Rs 45,000 in cash. Before fleeing, the robbers snatched Arulkumar’s mobile phone and damaged it. They locked the house from outside after keeping the couple inside.At daybreak, they raised an alarm, following which a passer-by opened the door and rescued them. Alerted, the Udumalpet police visited the farmhouse and conducted inquiries. Fingerprint experts and a sniffer dog were pressed into service. Police said the dog ran for a short distance before stopping.A case has been registered, and special teams have been formed to trace the gang. Police started examining CCTV footage from nearby areas to identify the suspects.
