UDUPI: The police are hunting for a robber, who attacked a 32-year-old-woman when she was waiting to pick up her son from a school bus near Kadinabettu, Korgi of Kundapur taluk, on Friday evening. Devaki Poojary, who suffered severe injuries, was immediately shifted to the hospital in Manipal. A lone assailant attacked Devaki with an iron rod and escaped with her gold jewellery. The value of the gold robbed is worth Rs 1,60,000. Local woman Parvathi who was passing by saw Devaki in a pool of blood and informed the police and local people shifted her to hospital.
Police sources said that the incident happened between 4.15 pm and 4.25 pm on Friday when Devaki went to receive her son Advik who was arriving on a school bus. Before the bus arrived, the assailant, police said, would have come on a bike and parked it somewhere far before attacking Devaki.
At first, Devaki resisted when the robber tried to pull the gold ornaments off her. However, the assailant hit her on the head twice with the iron rod. As Devaki fell to the ground, the assailant escaped with 'karimani' chain, bangles and ear hangings. After the incident was reported, local people urged the police to intensify patrolling in secluded areas as suspicious unknown people are often seen conducting recce in the village, they said. Kundapur Rural police have booked a case under Section 397 of IPC.
Police sources told TNSE that they have some clues about the assailant and that the arrest will happen soon. The assailant spoke Kannada, but not the locally-used Kundapura dialect, police sources quoting Devika said. Sources also informed that Devaki who was admitted at a private hospital in Manipal was discharged on Saturday.