Jaipur, Feb 5 (IANS) Amid a sharp rise in silver prices, a shocking incident has been reported from Kothia village in the Arwad area of Bhilwara district, where thieves abducted a 90-year-old woman along with her cot in an attempt to rob her of 1.5 kg of silver jewellery.

The accused later tied her hands and feet and abandoned her in a field before fleeing.

The incident comes close on the heels of the brutal murder of a woman in Sawai Madhopur, allegedly carried out to loot her silver ornaments, raising serious concerns over the safety of elderly women in rural areas.

According to officials, the Bhilwara incident occurred on Wednesday night when thieves broke into the house of former sarpanch Nathi Devi Mali with the intention of theft.

Before executing the crime, the accused locked other family members inside their rooms from the outside, effectively holding them hostage.

At the time of the incident, Chhoti Devi, the elderly mother-in-law of Nathi Devi, was sleeping on a cot in the verandah. Noticing the heavy silver jewellery she was wearing, the thieves covered her mouth and lifted her along with the cot, taking her to a nearby field, where they tied her hands and legs.

Meanwhile, other family members woke up and found their rooms locked from the outside. They raised an alarm, following which villagers arrived and broke open the locks. When Chhoti Devi was not found in the house, a search was immediately launched.

The elderly woman was soon found lying helpless in afield, while the culprits had already fled the scene. Owing to the prompt action by family members and villagers, the thieves failed to steal the silver jewellery.

Police reached the spot after receiving information and have launched a search operation to trace the accused. Further investigation is underway.

Earlier, on Tuesday, a woman was brutally murdered in Kodai village of Sawai Madhopur district after unidentified assailants allegedly severed her legs with a sharp weapon and fled with the silver anklets she was wearing. The victim had gone to graze her goats in a field when she was attacked and died on the spot, sending shockwaves across the region.

Investigators believe that the soaring prices of silver have led to a spike in crimes targeting women wearing traditional jewellery, particularly in rural areas.

–IANS

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