CHENNAI: In a shocking incident, a 70-year-old woman was tied up, gagged and robbed by a gang in the city on Monday evening. The gang escaped with 30 sovereigns of gold jewellery and Rs 60,000 in cash from the house. The police said the gang also recorded the woman naked and threatened to upload the videos on social media if she filed a police complaint.
The septuagenarian resides at a rented house with her son and daughter-in-law after the death of her husband, a retired police inspector. The police said around 5.30 on Monday evening, the woman was alone as her son and daughter-in-law were at work. She heard a knock at her door and when she opened the door with the latch on, three men were standing outside and enquired about houses available for rent in the locality.
When one of the men asked her for water, she opened the latch and let them in. The trio barged in and pinned her to the ground. One among them tied her hands while another man gagged her. Before that, the gang forced her to reveal the valuables.
The gang then stole gold jewellery worth Rs 8 lakh and cash from the safe. One of the robbers slashed her hand with a knife. The leader then allegedly disrobed the woman and made videos. He threatened to upload them if she filed a case. The gang then fled.
When the victim’s son returned home from work on Monday night, he found her bound and gagged. He rescued her and rushed her to a private hospital. Based on her complaint, a case was registered. Senior police officers visited the house and conducted preliminary inquiries. Special teams have been formed to investigate the case. The police are analysing CCTV footage from the locality to track the suspects.