CHENNAI: A neighbour's timely intervention saved an 81-year-old home-alone woman in Mylapore, who was robbed off her 10 sovereign jewellery and was being strangled by an intruder to stop her from screaming for help.

Mylapore police arrested the intruder, a woman who worked as a domestic help in a nearby house, and targeted the elderly woman when none was around.

On Monday evening, when the victim, S Rajeshwari (81), was alone at her home on Kesava Perumal Street, the accused woman, C Indira (54), gained entry and threatened the elderly woman.

Speaking to media persons, Rajeshwari’s neighbour Vaishnavi said she was walking past her house when she heard the screams. Taking her brother along with her, Vaishnavi went inside the home and found Indira holding the old woman's legs and threatening her with a scissors.

Startled to see this, Vaishnavi questioned Indira on what she was doing. She replied that she was using the scissors to open the elderly woman’s mouth and make her drink water, which made the woman alarmed. The neighbour checked on Rajeshwari and found some injuries.

Rajeshwari told Vaishnavi that she had gone to fetch water and that was when she was attacked from behind. Indira then tried to spin a story saying that another person had come to rob the elderly woman and she came hearing her screams.

"The story did not seem believable and she was giving different versions every time. So, we made her stay put in the house and alerted the elderly lady's son who lives nearby," Vaishnavi told media persons. "I was also apprehensive, as an innocent should not be blamed. What if her version is true and there was another intruder?"

Rajeshwari's son Diwakar rushed there along with Mylapore police personnel who conducted investigations. Indira told a different version to the police, but the neighbours immediately alerted the police about the inconsistency in the versions.

Then the women police personnel conducted a thorough check of Indira and found Rajeshwari's gold chain, earrings, and a gold bangle with her. Indira was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.