Mangaluru: Thieves and robbers appear to adopt different modes and tricks to relieve gullible persons of their valuables these days.
Radha (58) is employed in the public works department in the city. Hailing from Madikeri, she had lost her husband in March this year and hence lived alone in the government quarters at Bondel. Three unidentified persons came to her house around 9 pm on Saturday night and told her that their car had met with a mishap and asked for drinking water.
She did not open the door and told them to take it from a tap outside. They pleaded with her for pure water from inside. Trying to do a good deed, she opened the latch of the door. They immediately barged into the house, threatened her and bound her by hands and legs.
They went around the house, searched for valuables and got a gold chain, three mobile phones and Rs 35,000 in cash, aggregating to a total value of Rs 85,000. They spent most part of the night in the same house and finally left early in the morning, as Radha lay helplessly.
At sunrise, she informed her neighbour Thimmaiah, who called the police. She was taken to a hospital.
The Kavoor police are investigating the case.