Man held for snatching gold chain of elderly neighbour

Kochi: A 42-year-old man was arrested for allegedly robbing an elderly neighbour after throwing chilli powder into her eyes near Ismail Mukku, Aluva East, on Tuesday. The man, identified as Nasar of Ismail Mukku, is accused of stealing a gold necklace belonging to 70-year-old Sumathi.The incident occurred around 2pm when the accused allegedly entered the victim's house and attacked her while she was resting on a sofa in the hall. According to FIR, Nasar threw chilli powder on her face, temporarily blinding her, and snatched the gold necklace weighing around two-and-a-half sovereigns, including a locket, from her neck.Following the complaint, Edathala police launched an investigation and quickly zeroed in on the suspect, who is known to the victim as a neighbour. He was tracked down and was arrested later in the night.Police said parts of the necklace were recovered from the accused's motorcycle, where they were concealed. "The victim had suspected Nasar and during investigation, we managed to recover portions of the stolen chain from his bike," a senior police officer said.Police have booked the accused under relevant sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 309 (robbery) and Section 332 (house-trespass to commit an offence).Nasar was produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody on Wednesday. "Further investigation is under way to understand motive behind the offence," said police.