A pack of stray dogs averted a major robbery by the chaddi baniyan gang at a society in Dahisar (East) by barking and forcing them to flee.

Last week, around 15 men from the chaddi baniyan gang entered Krishna Vatika Complex in Dahisar (E) and tied up and assaulted two watchmen before proceeding to rob a house. Unfortunately for them, the stray dogs who guard the society day and night did not take to this very kindly. They surrounded the men and started barking, forcing the robbers to flee.

The Krishna Vatika Complex is situated near Anand Nagar in Dahisar. There is a huge stretch of mangroves behind the society.“The robbers entered the society from the back, through the mangroves. They caught hold of two watchmen — Bhimsingh Bhool (46) and Suresh Yadav (35) — and beat them up to find out which flats were vacant. When the watchmen kept mum, they stripped them and tied them to a tree,” said Bhupendra Shelar, a resident.

Another resident, Ramchandra Dakhave, added that after dealing with the watchmen, a few of the thieves went up to the second floor of building number two and attempted to break open the lock.

This alerted around 15 stray dogs living there, who awakened the neighbours by barking at the intruders.

“We immediately informed the Dahisar police, and a case has been registered” said Shelar. Residents were earlier opposed to letting the dogs remain in the society.

“Shelar’s mother would regularly feed the dogs, which several society members weren’t pleased about. They didn’t even want the dogs in the society, but now they think differently,” said Vipin Shah, the chairman.

“A case has been registered against unknown persons who entered the society and assaulted the watchmen. We are trying to trace them,” said Sunil Deshmukh, assistant commissioner of police.