CHENNAI: A ‘couple’ entered a house in Tambaram on Saturday evening claiming to be distant relatives of the family and fled with seven sovereigns of gold jewellery and Rs 1.5 lakh in cash after tying up a 19-year-old woman.
A police officer said Pushpalatha, a final year college student, was alone in the house at Agaramthen Kurinji Nagar in Tambaram at the time. Her father Ravi, a carpenter, had left for work, while her mother Suguna went to Pallikaranai.
A man and a woman arrived at her place and told her that they were her distant relatives.
An hour later, a man and a woman, who seemed to be in their mid-30s, arrived. The two, Pushpalatha later told police, were wearing masks and were well behaved. Stating that they were distant relatives on the side of her father, they reeled out random names that appeared genuine. They then arranged a plate containing fruits and a ‘wedding card,’ saying they had come to invite Pushapalatha’s family members for marriage. They then asked for water and Pushpalatha obliged. While handing over the invitation, the man pulled out a kitchen knife and waved it in her face.
They then asked for water and subsequently pulled out a kitchen knife and threatened her for the details of the cupboard. They made away with seven sovereigns of gold jewellery and Rs 1.5 lakh in cash.
Warning her against raising an alarm, they gagged and tied her up with a rope. After getting from her the whereabouts of the cupboard key, they bundled up seven sovereigns of gold jewellery worth nearly Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 1.50 lakh in cash and fled.
Suguna, who returned home by 7pm found her daughter lying unconscious on the ground. Based on acomplaint, the Selaiyur police have registered a case and began investigations.
Police said they are checking the CCTV camera footage from the area to ascertain the identity of the couple who they believe are habitual offenders.
“They could have taken note of the teenager being alone at home and struck. Before letting any strangers in, women should be extra cautious,” said an investigating officer. The CCTV camera footage of at least one week prior to the incident is also being collected, to know if they had been to the area before, he said.
