Chennai: A 49-year-old govt school teacher was robbed of her seven-sovereign gold thali chain by an unidentified man near Vandalur railway station on Saturday evening. Otteri police have launched a search for the suspect.According to police, the woman, Selvi, a resident of Mannivakkam near Vandalur, works at a govt school in Oonamancheri. On Saturday, she was deputed to Oonamancheri in the morning for census work. After completing the work, she took a bus to Vandalur bus stop at around 5.30 pm and started walking towards Mannivakkam along the GST Road, the police said.Selvi climbed the foot overbridge near Vandalur railway station and was walking down the steps when the suspect, who had been following her, suddenly pushed her down. He then snatched the seven-sovereign gold thali chain from her and fled the spot across the railway tracks.Two sovereigns of the thali that had fallen from the chain were later recovered. Selvi then lodged a complaint with the police, who registered a case and are investigating. A few passers-by chased him, but he escaped into a residential locality.Police said they are examining CCTV footage from the area to identify the suspect and trace his movements. Police suspect the handiwork of habitual offenders in the crime.
