VASCO
An alert resident from a neighbouring building and the remarkable courage of 15-year-old Nakshatra Nayak proved crucial in saving the lives of the Nayak family, who were violently attacked and left tied up and bleeding during the dacoity in their sixth-floor flat at Baina.
According to information, Sagar Nayak, his wife Harsha and their daughter Nakshatra were tied up in the balcony with cloth in their mouth, even as a group of dacoits took complete control of the flat, ransacking cupboards and breaking open lockers. The attackers allegedly locked the flat from outside before fleeing, leaving the injured family helpless and unable to escape.
Sagar, a sports athlete known for his fitness and resilience, is believed to have put up a strong fight despite his heart condition and a severe head injury. Bleeding heavily, he still managed to remove the cloth stuffed into his mouth and scream for help from the balcony.
It was these cries that reached a resident from the adjoining building, both structures sharing a common dead wall. The neighbour, who had been asleep, stepped out onto his balcony and was shocked to see the family bound and pleading for help.
“I trembled at the sight of the family tied up in the balcony screaming for help. Sagar told me to immediately call an ambulance and the police since he feared he would die. I had never imagined such a situation in my wildest dreams. I immediately called a police friend posted at Vasco police station,” the neighbour said, requesting anonymity.
He added that the police reacted instantly. “The staff alerted both Vasco and Mormugao police, and they reached the site in quick time. It may have been only a few minutes since the dacoits had left.”
TEEN’S COURAGE
Meanwhile, Sagar’s daughter Nakshatra displayed exceptional courage despite being just 15 years old.
Though injured and traumatised, she managed to free her hands from the ropes. She then untied her parents and grandmother, all of whom were bleeding heavily, and tried to open the front door — only to realise that it had been locked from outside.
Determined to get help, she slipped out through the same kitchen window route used by the dacoits. She rushed to a neighbouring flat on the fifth floor but discovered that the attackers had also locked that door from outside to prevent anyone from responding to the family’s cries.
Nakshatra quickly unlocked the flat and banged on the door, but sensing that residents were fast asleep, she sprinted down the staircase, banging on every door on her way.
On reaching the first floor, she rang the bell repeatedly at her uncle Prasad’s flat until he woke up. Once he opened the door, she narrated the ordeal.
By then, neighbours had gathered, and Prasad, along with other residents, rushed to the sixth floor to rescue Sagar, Harsha and the elderly grandmother.
The family was immediately shifted to hospital for emergency medical care. Around the same time, police teams reached the spot and assisted in safely evacuating the injured.
The swift reaction of the neighbour and the extraordinary bravery of Nakshatra ensured that the family received timely help, potentially preventing a tragedy during the violent dacoity.
