CHENNAI: Valasaravakkam Police have detained a Shanthi (50), who staged a robbery drama to escape her daughter’s anger, as she has sold her daughter’s 50-sovereign gold jewellery to compensate for losses in online rummy.

She had also given her son the remaining amount to settle his debts.

Police said that Shanthi had been living with her daughter, Sandhana Lakshmi and son-in-law Sivamurugan, in Karambakkam.

On Friday morning, Sivamurugan woke up and found Shanthi unconscious with her hands and feet tied up. He alerted his wife and took Shanthi to a hospital nearby after which the police were informed.

Since he was not aware of Shanthi’s acts, he told the police they believed that someone had entered the house, tied her up and stolen the jewellery.

However, the police could not find any signs of forced entry, nor was there any suspicious movement caught on CCTV, after which the police turned their attention to Shanthi.

Investigations revealed that her daughter had kept her jewellery in Shanthi’s room. Shanti had frequently pawned the jewellery as she had lost a lot of money in online gambling, and also helped her son.

A relative’s wedding was on September 5 and realising that her daughter would notice the missing jewellery, Shanthi consumed extra pills, and tied her hands with a towel, a police officer said. Police are questioning Shanthi, who is hospitalised.