Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A woman was robbed of her gold chain inside a lift at AIIMS Bhopal on Sunday evening, raising serious concerns about the safety of women even in high-security health institutions.
A CCTV video of the incident, recorded by a camera installed inside the lift, surfaced on Monday and clearly shows how the crime took place.
As seen in the CCTV footage, a young man wearing a mask and a cap approached the lift and first checked if anyone else was inside. After finding the woman alone, he entered the lift. The video shows the man looking around and repeatedly observing the woman, as if waiting for the right moment. He then started talking to her and asked which floor the Eye Department was on.
The lift moved up and stopped at the third floor. When the lift gate opened, the man stepped out first and waited near the door. As the woman moved forward to exit the lift, the man suddenly turned back, grabbed her neck, and snatched her gold mangalsutra.
He pushed her and immediately ran away towards the staircase.
Watch the video below :
The woman tried to resist, but the attacker managed to escape. He fled with the mangalsutra, while another pearl necklace worn by the woman broke and fell inside the lift.
The incident happened in a lift located behind the Blood Bank building at AIIMS Bhopal. The victim, Varsha Soni, is an attendant in the Gynecology Department and was on duty at the time. She entered the lift alone in the evening to reach another floor.
There was no security guard present near the lift area at the time of the incident. After the robbery, the woman remained near the lift crying for nearly ten minutes. Later, a guard on routine round noticed her and informed senior officials.
The victim has submitted a written complaint at Bagsewania police station, but an FIR has not been registered yet. Initial investigation suggests the accused escaped through the IPD gate. Due to Sunday and the January 26 holiday, hospital footfall was low and security was reduced in several areas.
This is the first reported case of chain snatching inside a lift at AIIMS Bhopal. The incident has raised serious questions about the hospital’s security system, and police are now searching for the accused using CCTV footage.
