Three elderly women have been targeted by robbers in separate incidents across Bengaluru and neighbouring districts over the past week, leaving them injured and raising concerns about the safety of senior citizens living alone or travelling in public places.

The most shocking incident was reported from Chickballapur district, where an 80-year-old woman lost her life after being brutally attacked for her earrings on Thursday.

Subbamma, a resident of Basavanapura village in Gauribidanur taluk, was alone at her daughter’s house when unidentified assailants allegedly barged in and attacked her. The accused reportedly assaulted the octogenarian, cut her ear to remove her earrings and fled with the jewellery. Family members found her lying in a pool of blood after returning home and rushed her to a hospital in Yelahanka. However, she succumbed to her injuries during treatment.

The police arrested a 20-year-old autorickshaw driver within hours. The accused, identified as Kumar B.G., 20 from Basavanahalli village in Gauribidanur taluk, was tracked down based on CCTV footage on Saturday. The accused reportedly confessed that he had incurred a huge loan and hatched a plan to rob to repay his loan.

In another incident reported in the Ashok Nagar Police Station limits in Bengaluru, a domestic worker, Ameer Bi, was attacked while waiting at a BMTC bus stop on Hosur Road near Johnson Market on June 14.

According to her complaint, an unidentified man struck up a conversation before attempting to snatch her gold earrings. When she resisted, the accused allegedly injured her ears and forcibly removed one of the earrings before fleeing. The stolen jewellery, weighing around five gms, is estimated to be worth ₹50,000.

In the third incident, 62-year-old farmer Anusuyamma was robbed of a gold chain worth nearly ₹7 lakh outside her residence in Agraharapalya village in the Madanayakanahalli Police Station limits.

The police said two motorcycle-borne men approached the victim on the pretext of seeking directions. As she turned away, one of the accused allegedly snatched a 70 gm gold chain from her neck and escaped with his accomplice. The victim sustained injuries to her neck.

Investigators believe criminals are increasingly targeting senior citizens who are alone at home or in public places.

Senior officers have urged citizens, particularly the elderly, to remain vigilant and avoid displaying valuable jewellery in public.

The incidents have sparked concern among residents and renewed calls for increased police patrolling and surveillance in vulnerable localities to deter such crimes.