Kerala man poses as tenant, attacks 75-year-old with chilli powder; robs gold, cash
A house rental enquiry turned into a robbery in Kerala's Alappuzha when a man posing as a prospective tenant allegedly attacked a 75-year-old homeowner with
A house rental enquiry turned into a robbery in Kerala's Alappuzha when a man posing as a prospective tenant allegedly attacked a 75-year-old homeowner with chilli powder and escaped with gold ornaments and cash. Police tracked the mobile phone used to contact the victim and arrested the suspect within hours. The suspect was identified as Rajmohan, police said. The case was registered on the complaint of the victim, Sudarsanan K R. The stolen property included 12 sovereigns of gold ornaments and Rs 5,000 in cash, with the total value estimated at around Rs 13.75 lakh.
Read Full Story According to the FIR, the incident took place around 1 pm at Sudarsanan's residence in Housing Colony Ward near Sanathanapuram, under the Alappuzha South police station limits. Police said Rajmohan approached the elderly man claiming that he wanted to rent the upper-floor portion of the house. He also showed Sudarsanan a rental agreement document. While Sudarsanan was reading the document, the accused allegedly threw chilli powder into his face. ELDERLY MAN INJURED DURING STRUGGLE Police said Sudarsanan resisted and tried to get up, following which the accused overpowered him.
During the struggle, both men fell to the floor, leaving the elderly man with injuries to his upper forearm. The accused then allegedly grabbed Sudarsanan by the throat and threatened to kill him if he did not hand over his valuables, police said. He subsequently fled from the house with the jewellery and cash. PHONE NUMBER HELPED POLICE TRACK SUSPECT The Alappuzha South Police immediately began investigating the incident and traced the mobile phone number that had been used to contact Sudarsanan about renting the house.
The investigation led police to Rajmohan, who was arrested within hours of the robbery. Police are now questioning the suspect to determine whether he was involved in similar crimes. The case has raised concerns over the use of seemingly routine rental enquiries as a pretext to gain access to homes, with police focusing on how the suspect established contact with the elderly homeowner before carrying out the alleged robbery. Ends With PTI inputs
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