Mystery surrounds gold theft from bedridden elderly woman in Muvattupuzha

MUVATTUPUZHA: A complaint alleging that 10 sovereigns of gold ornaments were stolen from an elderly bedridden woman in broad daylight has raised suspicions, police said. The incident was reported from Mancherippady in North Marady, where 86-year-old Mariyamma claimed that her gold ornaments were stolen around 8 am on Sunday.

According to the complaint, the thief entered the house through the front door, removed the ornaments from Mariyamma’s neck and hands, and stuffed a cloth into her mouth. Mariyamma, a former nursing superintendent with the Delhi Health Department, lives alone with a home nurse, Sudha, a native of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. Her brother Paul, who lives in a nearby house on the same property, had gone to church at the time of the incident.

Police reached the house after being informed by Paul, who was alerted by Sudha. However, officers said they found no injuries on Mariyamma’s body and could not recover the cloth that was allegedly used to gag her. Sudha later told police that the thief had taken the cloth away while escaping. Mariyamma was reportedly wearing four bangles weighing five sovereigns and a five-sovereign gold chain with a locket.

Sudha told police that she rushed to the room after hearing noises from inside, but the thief pushed her into an attached toilet and locked the door from outside. She claimed she escaped by breaking the plywood door and then informed Paul. Police said Mariyamma’s statements were also contradictory.

Mariyamma’s house is located at the end of a narrow lane near Mancherippady on the Muvattupuzha-Piravom Road. There are no CCTV cameras near the house, but police are checking surveillance footage from nearby main roads. The investigation is being led by Muvattupuzha Inspector Anil George.

Home nurse taken into custody Police have taken home nurse Sudha into custody and are examining her call records. Investigators said there is currently no indication that an outsider entered the house. Sudha had started working there five months ago.

Police also found that Mariyamma’s brother Paul had earlier kept her jewellery in a locker due to her fondness for wearing gold ornaments. The jewellery that was allegedly stolen had reportedly been taken out from the locker two weeks ago when Mariyamma was taken to the hospital.