MP man held for assaulting, robbing 74-year-old woman; two Jaipur buyers arrested

Jaipur: Police Thursday arrested a 22-year-old man from Madhya Pradesh for allegedly assaulting a 74-year-old woman and robbing her of gold jewellery worth over Rs 4 lakh near her house in Sodala Tuesday. Two Jaipur residents accused of purchasing the stolen jewellery were also arrested.

DCP (South) Rajarshi Raj Varma have identified the main accused as Anikesh Rawat (22), a native of Madhya Pradesh. The two alleged buyers have been identified as Mahesh Chand Gupta and Rajendra Agarwal, both residents of Jaipur. Varma said all three were arrested following an investigation into the robbery.

The incident took place around 12.40pm on Tuesday when Santosh Agrawal, a resident of Jamuna Nagar, was returning home after offering prayers at a nearby temple. CCTV footage of the incident, which later surfaced, showed the accused approaching the elderly woman from behind and forcefully pushing her to the ground.

Police said Rawat allegedly assaulted the woman as she lay on the road crying for help before snatching her gold earrings and gold chain and fleeing from the spot. He escaped on foot towards Sushilpura before disappearing from the area.

Investigators examined CCTV footage from Sushilpura and adjoining localities and tracked the suspect’s movements after the robbery. Acting on technical and local intelligence inputs, police traced and arrested Rawat from Madhya Pradesh. During the investigation, police also identified and arrested two Jaipur men accused of purchasing the stolen jewellery.

The victim sustained injuries in the attack and underwent medical examination. Family members said the incident left her traumatised and fearful of stepping out of her house. Her regular visits to the temple have also been disrupted since the attack.

Police said efforts are underway to recover the remaining stolen property and further investigation is continuing.