CHENNAI: In a shocking incident near Mudichur, a woman who was alone at home was tied up and threatened at knifepoint by a group of men before gold jewellery weighing about 25 sovereigns was looted. The incident occurred in Varadarajapuram near Mudichur.

Padmanaban and his wife, Indumathi, live in the area along with their 11-year-old son. Padmanaban’s mother, Kousalya, who is recovering from a stroke, also lives with them.

Due to the summer holidays, Indumathi had gone to her mother’s house with her son. On Tuesday night, Padmanaban left home around 7 pm for his night shift job in Sriperumbudur, leaving his mother alone at home.

Police said around 1.30 am, three unidentified men broke open the house door. They threatened Kousalya with a knife, tied her hands, and robbed the gold jewellery she was wearing. The intruders then broke open cupboards in two bedrooms and escaped with nearly 25 sovereigns of gold.

Before leaving, the suspects also took away her mobile phone to prevent her from informing anyone and warned her not to alert the police. When Padmanaban returned home around 8 am, he found the broken door and his mother crying.

Based on his complaint, police from Somangalam station visited the spot, registered a case, and further investigation is on.

Speaking to reporters, Indumathi said the family had recently retrieved the jewellery from a pawn shop just 10 days ago after pledging it earlier. “We struggled a lot, sold our property, and built this house. We had just brought back the jewellery, and now everything is gone,” she said, breaking down in tears.