QUEPEM: A 74-year-old woman was seriously injured after she foiled an attempt by an unidentified person to snatch her chain at Quepem on Sunday morning.

The incident occurred near Holy Cross Church, Quepem, when Bela Travasso, 74, a resident of Voddlem Bhat, Quepem was on her way to the church for Mass. Suddenly an unknown person came to her on a two-wheeler on the pretext of asking a road direction and tried to snatch her chain. However, the septuagenarian woman mustered courage and resisted his attempt and raised an alarm. The snatcher pushed her down and fled. In the process, the woman received injury on her neck and dislocated her leg.

Travasso was immediately rushed to a hospital at Curchorem and then shifted to the District Hospital, Margao, for further treatment.

According to a resident, Meena Fernandes, the incident occurred in front of her and she rushed out of her house on hearing the cries of the woman. “Because we rushed out of our house the chain snatcher fled from the spot,” she said.

Another resident Wilma Fernandes complained that the streetlights in the locality were not working for the last two days and that a complaint was submitted to the electricity department. She demanded that the Quepem police should increase patrolling the areas in view of the instances of chain snatchings.

Meanwhile, the Quepem police have registered a case against the unknown person and are conducting investigations.