73-year-old woman outwits burglars with presence of mind in Shivamogga

Shivamogga: In an unusual incident that highlights remarkable presence of mind, a 73-year-old woman managed to save her life and her gold ornaments by cleverly misleading two burglars who entered her house in Shivamogga. The incident took place in the KHB Colony near Gopal, and a case has been registered at the local police station.

The elderly woman, identified as Shivalingamma, lives alone in the colony. According to the police complaint, the incident occurred around 11.30 am when Shivalingamma was drying clothes on the terrace of her house. As she returned to the hall, she was shocked to find two unidentified men inside her home.

One of the burglars immediately gagged her mouth with a cloth, while the other tied her hands. Despite being restrained, the elderly woman showed remarkable courage and presence of mind. She began shouting that her son would be arriving shortly. Alarmed by this, the burglars panicked and hastily removed four bangles from her hands before fleeing the spot.

Soon after the burglars escaped, Shivalingamma managed to untie herself and alerted her neighbours, who rushed to her aid. The incident was later reported to the police, who have launched an investigation and are searching for the accused.

Interestingly, what saved the elderly woman from losing her real gold jewellery was her daily routine. Shivalingamma has a long-standing habit of removing her original gold mangalsutra and bangles before going for her evening walk at around 4 pm. She instead wears imitation jewellery while stepping out. After returning home, she keeps the real gold ornaments safely aside and wears them again only after bathing the next morning.

On the day of the incident, the burglars entered the house before she had completed her bath and before she wore her real gold jewellery. Mistaking the imitation ornaments for genuine gold, the burglars forcibly removed the bangles and escaped. Had they arrived even half an hour later, the elderly woman would have been wearing her real gold ornaments, potentially resulting in a significant loss.

Police officials said that the stolen bangles were later identified as imitation gold. Despite this, an FIR has been registered against the burglars, and efforts are underway to trace them using CCTV footage from the surrounding area.

Notably, while the burglars were snatching the bangles, Shivalingamma did not reveal that they were fake, displaying sharp thinking in a highly stressful situation. Locals have praised her courage and awareness, calling the incident a lesson in alertness and safety for senior citizens living alone.