Elderly woman gagged and robbed in broad daylight; bakery employee arrested

The Medical College police on Tuesday arrested one person in connection with a theft in which an elderly woman was tied up and gagged in broad daylight, before having her gold jewellery stolen from her home.

The police identified the accused as Madhu of Akkulam. He worked in a bakery that functions on the ground floor of the victim Ushakumari’s residence. She has been residing alone in the house on the second floor of the three-storied building for the last five years.

The incident occurred around 2 p.m. on Monday. Madhu allegedly gained entry into the house through a staircase at the rear of the building. His movement was captured in CCTV footage that later aided the police in identifying the suspect.

Once inside, Madhu tied Ushakumari to her bed using a towel and gagged her using another cloth after she began to scream for help. He then purportedly stole a gold necklace weighing approximately 1.5 sovereigns and a gold ring that weighs four grams from her finger, the police said.

The victim told the investigators that the perpetrator wore a green shirt and a helmet during the incident. The accused was apprehended around 9 p.m. after tracing his movements.

Initially, the accused denied any involvement, but later confessed to the crime during interrogation early Tuesday.

According to the police, Madhu sold the stolen jewellery at Chala and hid the cash, estimated to be around ₹1.5 lakh, in a secret location. These were later recovered.

An official said that Madhu was aware that the woman lived alone, and that the crime was premeditated. Efforts are being made to determine whether the accused has any criminal antecedents or involvement in other robbery attempts.

He has been working in the bakery for nearly six months. He was earlier employed at the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital.