In a shocking case of chain snatching reported from Thrissur in Kerala, a 70-year-old woman was brutally assaulted with a hammer and robbed of her gold chain on Sunday. The victim was identified as Sushila, a daily wage worker who was picked up by unidentified chain snatchers – a man and a woman – in an auto rickshaw from the Tirur central bus stand, while she was waiting to catch a bus to Vattayi, on Sunday afternoon.
A few hours later, she was assaulted on her head with a hammer, strangled with a rope and dumped near the Pathazhkundu dam in Vadakkanchery, according to her complaint. The two accused made away with a 2.5 sovereign gold chain that the complainant had been wearing, but not before pushing her out of the auto.
"The complainant says that the man had attacked her with the hammer while the woman strangled and took away her chain. On telling them that her jewellery was not real gold, they pushed her out of the auto and drove away. She then walked some distance with a bleeding head and sought help at the nearest house," the SI added.
"The complainant could not recall the auto's license plate number. She says that one of the accused was its driver, and the other was a petite woman in a blue salwar. The duo coerced her to get inside the auto, stating that they, too, were headed to Vattayi from Tirur. They then stopped at a deserted spot near Pathazhankundu dam, claiming that the auto ran out of petrol and then assaulted her. The complainant says that both sides of the road were filled with rubber trees, but we have not identified the place or the suspects yet," the SI of Vadakkanchery police station told TNM.
According to the complainant, the accused did not snatch the bangles on her hand, her earrings and rings as she had told them that they were made of Rolled Gold.
A case has been registered under IPC sections 394 (Voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) 363 (punishment for kidnapping) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention). On receiving the complaint, an ambulance was immediately dispatched and she was admitted to the Thrissur Medical College Hospital for treatment.
"We are yet to track down the accused persons. The complainant has not been able to give specific details. After being discharged on Monday, we will be taking her to identify the scene of assault. We will also be looking at CCTV visuals from the Tirur central region," the SI added.