A gang of 12 armed dacoits broke into the house of an advocate in Gandhi Nagar in th early hours of Monday and robbed the family of cash and jewellery worth more than Rs 2.5 lakh.

During the incident, advocate Vikash Ratan Bharti, his wife Hema, their three children and two other people - a clerk and a relative of Vikash - were present in the two-storey house located in the area under the jurisdiction of Rajiv Nagar police station.

Vikash, who practises in Patna High Court, said the robbers broke open the back door on the ground floor of his house around 1.30am and gained entry while the family members were sleeping. The gang overpowered the family members sleeping on the two floors of the house and looted cash and jewellery at gunpoint. Vikash's house is located in front of Patliputra railway station and his uncle Y.V. Giri is a senior Patna High Court lawyer.

Hema, who was terrified after the incident, said: "We were sleeping on the first floor of the house when we heard a loud sound of shattering glass. I asked my husband to go and check whether rats had broken the glass dining table."

When Vikash came out of his bedroom, he spotted three men, their faces covered, entering the house by breaking the glass door. Before Vikash could react, the trio attacked him with a knife. Vikash, who is well-built, tried to overpower them but soon the other members of the gang who were on the ground floor reached the first floor and started assaulting Vikash.

Hema and the three children woke up hearing the noises.

Vikash said: "On seeing my four-year-old son and two daughters (aged nine and eleven), one of the robbers held my son hostage at gunpoint and demanded the keys of the wardrobe. I was helpless. I handed over the keys to them."

The robbers then tied up Vikash and his family members with rope and dumped them in the first floor room.

The robbers had earlier and captured Vikash's clerk and the relative who was sleeping on the ground floor. The robbers also neutralised the threat from Vikash's pet dog by feeding it food laced with drugs.

Some neighbours alerted the local Rajiv Nagar police station after hearing the family members' screams for help.

Rajiv Nagar police station house officer Mritunjay Kumar said: "The police was informed about the incident at around 2.30am and we reached the spot in less than 10 minutes."

Deputy superintendent of police (law and order) Shibli Nomani too reached the spot when came to know about the incident early in the morning.

Nomani said: "Prima facie, the incident of loot appears a case executed by some professional gang. The robbers might have done a reccé before committing the incident as they had information about the dog's presence in the house and also the easiest point to gain entry into the house."

The police have recovered a knife and some clothes used by the gang of robbers to enter the house.

Raids are on to nab the accused.