Bike-borne men hit woman’s scooter, rob her of cash, gold

CHENNAI: A 48-year-old woman, who runs a beauty parlour on Nelson Manickam Road in Choolaimedu, was attacked and robbed by two bike-borne men on Friday night.

Police said the men snatched a bag containing Rs 14,000 in cash, debit and credit cards, seven sovereigns of gold jewellery and two phones from Ramalingeshwari.

The woman was found lying unconscious about 100m from her house on Rajeshwari Street. Passersby alerted her family following which her brother B Ramnath rescued her and took her to a private hospital in Aminjikarai.

Ramalingeshwari, who suffered a deep cut on her lips and had injured her hand, told police that she blacked out after a bike hit her scooter. As she had applied a face pack, she had removed all her belongings — including gold ear studs and a gold chain — and kept them in her bag.

After Ramalingeshwari described the suspects and their bike to police, a team launched a hunt for them. Police traced one of the victim’s mobile to a location near a bakery in Ashok Nagar.

“I went with the police team and took a photograph of two men who resembled the suspects. We showed it to Ramalingeshwari at the hospital,” said Ramnath.

“We also found a similar bike.” But police checked CCTV footage procured from roadside shops and houses and said the men photographed were not the suspects.

“The suspects may have monitored her movements and waited for her at the entrance of the Rajeshwari Street before hitting her scooter,” said a police officer.

The Aminjikarai police have registered a case and are on the lookout for the men.