Alipurduar, Aug. 2: A couple in their seventies were robbed last night, allegedly by their maid who had served them tea laced with a drug.

Family members claimed that cash and ornaments worth Rs 80,000 were missing.

Nani Gopal Sutradhar and his wife Ashalata of Babupara had employed Meena seven days ago. “Last evening, she gave us tea while we were watching TV. After that I don’t remember anything,” Ashalata said from her bed at the sudivisional hospital here this morning after regaining consciousness. Her husband is still unconscious and is on oxygen.

The couple’s daughter who had rung up last night felt something was wrong when somebody, suspected to be the maid, told her that the telephone number was wrong. She immediately called up her brother Tamal in Siliguri who in turn informed Nani Gopal’s brother Sushil who stays in the neighbourhood.

Sushil found the unconscious couple around 11pm. Tamal, who arrived from Siliguri today, said: “My father drew his pension yesterday. That money is missing along with ornaments worth Rs 80,000.”

Pradeep Chakroborty, the inspector-in-charge of Alipurduar police station, said: “We always ask people to inform us when they hire servants. Investigation has started.”