A shocking case has come to light in Pune’s Karvenagar area where a 31-year-old woman, who works as a techie engineer, has been booked by police for attempting to rob her own 75-year-old grandmother at her home. Police say the incident has raised many questions about trust, family ties and why someone with an educated background would choose to commit such an act.
Reports say that, according to officers, the woman was picked up by police last week after she allegedly sprayed a chemical solution on her elderly grandmother’s face inside the grandmother’s house, with the intention of stealing valuables. The victim managed to alert other family members and the police were informed soon after.
Pune grandmother would not have resisted robbery
As per reports, Senior Police Inspector Ulhas Kadam of Alankar police said that during questioning, the woman admitted she had targeted her grandmother because she thought the elderly relative would be less likely to resist or question her actions. “She chose her grandmother because she was alone and vulnerable,” Kadam told reporters. Police registered cases against her under sections related to robbery and theft and the investigation is still ongoing.
What shocked detectives even more was that this was not her first offence. According to reports, Police investigations showed that in the past few weeks she had carried out two other thefts against elderly relatives living alone. In one case on Sinhagad Road, she is accused of stealing around 15 tolas of gold jewellery from her maternal uncle’s home. In another incident in Kothrud, she reportedly took valuables from another relative.
In the Sinhagad Road case, the stolen gold was recovered and returned after the family decided to withdraw their complaint, leading to that matter being closed. However, police say the grandmother’s case is different due to the violent attempt and the use of a chemical spray. Investigators have also issued her a formal notice asking her to cooperate fully with the ongoing probe.
Pune theft done due to financial stress
Police believe financial stress might have been a factor in her decisions. The officer said she did not clearly explain her motive but mentioned that she had suffered major losses in share trading during and after the pandemic and might have tried to recover her losses through theft.
Her husband, who also works in the technology sector, told police he was unaware of her actions and thought she was simply visiting relatives when she left home. The couple has a one-year-old child.
Similar Incidents in Pune
Cases involving relatives or close contacts targeting each other are rare but not unheard of. Recently, another woman in Pune was detained for spraying a solution in her grandmother’s face to try to commit theft, though in that case the elderly woman raised the alarm and the suspect was released after a notice from police.