Nagpur: An 82-year-old widow who lived alone was throttled to death during a struggle with robbers who fled with gold jewellery worth about ₹1.5 lakh from her house in Palasgaon village in Gondia district.The woman, Kusum Kapgate, was found lying motionless on the kitchen floor on the morning of Sept 2. Both the front and back doors were found open, said Duggipar police. Neighbours and a woman discovered the unlocked house, placed the body onto a bed and tried to revive Kapgate before alerting Duggipar police.Kapgate’s son, an executive engineer posted in Aurangabad, and her two married daughters would visit her frequently. Police said the son wished to install a CCTV at the home, but Kapgate dismissed the idea as a waste of money.Superintendent of police Gorakh Bhamre and a sub-divisional officer rushed to the spot. Local Crime Branch (LCB) and a team led by assistant police inspector Javed Khan have started parallel probes.Investigators suspect that Kapgate was either followed home after her evening stroll on Sept 1 or someone slipped in early on Sept 2. “No property-related dispute seems to be the reason as of now,” said Bhamre.Police believe Kapgate may have recognised the robbers, triggering a struggle during which she was killed. Released snatchers and robbers with a similar modus operandi, along with addicts, are being questioned, said SP. No arrests have been made so far.
