Udupi: Two Arrested for Robbing Elderly Woman of Gold Chain Under Pretext of Seeking SIR Information
Udupi: Udupi City Police arrested two men for allegedly robbing a 74-year-old woman who lives alone after pushing her to the floor and snatching her gold chain worth approximately Rs 4 lakh. The accused reportedly entered her house under the pretext of seeking information related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Police have recovered property worth Rs 5.53 lakh, including the stolen gold chain.
The arrested men were identified as Vadiraj Ganiga (44), a resident of Nittur in Puttur village of Udupi taluk, and Sachin (30), a resident of Padu village in Kaup taluk. The duo was arrested in the Mannapalla area of Manipal on October 10, based on specific information received by the police.
According to a complaint filed on October 7 by Srinivas Karanth (49), a resident of Nittur, his mother, Shantha Karanth (74), was living alone at their house. At around 3:47 p.m. that day, two unidentified men arrived at the house, claiming to seek information related to SIR.
When Shantha told them that she would consult her son before signing a document they had brought, the men allegedly followed her inside and pushed her to the floor. They then forcibly snatched her gold chain, weighing approximately 30 grams and adorned with garnet beads, before fleeing. The chain was valued at around Rs 4 lakh, according to the complaint.
A case was registered at Udupi City Police Station under Crime No. 136/2026, invoking Sections 309(4) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The investigation to identify the accused and recover the stolen property was conducted under the leadership of Police Inspector Mahesh Prasad.
During questioning, the accused allegedly admitted to their involvement in the crime and disclosed that they had pledged the stolen chain at the Industrial Credit Co-operative Society in Manipal. Police subsequently recovered a gold chain weighing 34 grams and valued at approximately ₹4.50 lakh.
The police also seized an Ola electric scooter bearing registration number KA20HG4761, allegedly used in the crime and valued at approximately Rs 90,000, along with two mobile phones worth around Rs 13,000. The total value of the recovered property is estimated at Rs 5.53 lakh, police said.
According to the preliminary investigation, the first accused was a neighbour of the complainant and had allegedly borrowed money from him and others. The second accused was also reportedly in debt. Police suspect that the duo committed the robbery to repay their loans and finance a lavish lifestyle.
The accused were produced before the court on October 10 and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.
The operation was carried out under the direction of Udupi Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar, IPS, and the guidance of Additional Superintendent of Police Sudhakar Naik and Udupi Subdivision Deputy Superintendent of Police Belliappa.
The police team was led by Inspector Mahesh Prasad and included Udupi City Police Station Sub-Inspectors Bharathesh Kankanavadi and Ratnakar K., along with police personnel Prasanna C., Jeevan Kumar, Abdul Basheer, and Anand S. Manipal Police Station personnel Mallayya Hiremath and Hemanth also assisted in the operation. Investigation assistants Nethravathi and Surendra D. provided further support.