Chennai:
Her snow-white hair stained with patches of red, the frail woman lying on the hospital bed seemed to be oblivious to the narrow brush with death she had on Monday evening. N Bhagyalakshmi (86) of Sydoji Lane in Triplicane has joined a growing list of elderly persons in the city who have fallen prey to killers, robbers and chain-snatchers on the prowl for easy money.
A rich woman, Bhagyalakshmi lived alone in her large house ever since her husband Narasinga Rao, who retired as chief engineer in the railways, died six years ago. The couple did not have any children.
Besides the house where she lived, she also owned property on Venkataranga Pillai Street in Triplicane and K K Nagar in Tiruchy and valuables stored in the bank locker.
Like many of the elderly victims, Bhagyalakshmi appeared to have lived a reclusive life.
"She has not maintained good ties with her relatives and was not interested in meeting them," assistant commissioner of police (Triplicane) S Senthil Kumaran told Express. "She had rented out her house on VP Street and lived on the income," he said.
A bachelor-relative, Ramakrishnan (52), who worked as accounts executive in a private company on Whites Road, lived in a portion on the ground floor of her house. But they cooked separately and there was not much interaction. The first and second floors were vacant, the police officer said.
On Monday, around 5 pm, she was awaiting Ramakrishnan's arrival to go to a function and the front door was open. Suddenly, she was confronted by a stranger inside her house, who snatched her gold chain, gold bangles and diamond nose ring. As she attempted to scream, he pushed her and escaped. Bhagyalakhmi hit the ground and became unconscious. "The intruder appears to have made his entry earlier was and hiding, as the steel bureau was open and the clothes were in a state of disarray," the ACP said.
The back of her head bleeding, Bhagyalaksmi was taken to a private hospital on Big Street, where her condition has now stablilised.
"I could not see whether it was a man or woman as the room was dark," she said. But she too felt that the intruder had been hiding in the house for sometime.
The Triplicane police have registered a case under Section 392 (robbery). Three special teams have been formed to nab the assailant, who is suspected to be a professional housebreak offender.
Last week, CoP J K Tripathy sent a note to all police stations to create a database of senior citizens, who were living alone in their jurisdiction, and ascertain their safety by calling them over the phone on a regular basis. The ACP said efforts were being made to implement the suggestion in Triplicane.