Police arrest four for assaulting elderly woman and robbing gold ornaments

Thiruvananthapuram: Fort Police arrested four persons for assaulting a 65-year-old woman and robbing her of gold ornaments after posing as plastic waste collection workers from the corporation. The incident occurred on Feb 13 at her flat near Mukkolakkal Devi Temple.The accused approached her under the pretext of collecting plastic waste. They then forced their way inside, attacked the woman, gagged her, snatched the necklace from her neck and forcibly removed six gold bangles before fleeing. The arrested have been identified as Sarath, 34 of Konchira; Rajan, 63 of Kodunganoor, Nettayam; Sheeba, 42 of Chullimanoor, Nedumangad and Reena, 43 of Mukkolakkal. Police said the robbery was premeditated. Sheeba had established contact with Shamaya, a hotel employee in Venpalavattom and later connected with her relative Reena, who lived on the ground floor of the same flat complex where the victim lived. Through this link, the accused gathered information that the elderly woman regularly wore gold ornaments. Based on this, Sheeba, Reena and Sarath, who has criminal background, allegedly conspired to carry out the robbery. Sarath later involved Rajan and another associate he had met while in jail to execute the plan. Following the attack, the accused went into hiding and attempted to destroy evidence. Police tracked them down by analysing CCTV footage, examining the clothes worn by the suspects and verifying their criminal backgrounds. The victim is yet to recover from the trauma of the incident, her son Vishnu Prasad said. "My mother's health is now stable, but mentally she is completely shaken. We rented this place thinking the surroundings were peaceful, but that sense of safety is gone. Now we have decided to move out. For my mother, this place has become a bad memory forever," said Vishnu, who works in the engineering section of Air India at Thiruvananthapuram airport. Police said further investigation is under way. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Valentine's day wishes, messages and quotes !