Chennai: Three days after a woman software professional was waylaid by an armed gang off a deserted stretch near Perumbakkam, the young woman gained consciousness in the private hospital where she is undergoing treatment.
In two short videos less than 15 seconds each being circulated on message sharing platform, Whatsapp, Lavanya can be seen on the hospital bed struggling to speak. All she could muster was a response to what was her name and adding, “He hit me, that’s why”.
There was a deep incision on her face, an injury from the attack with a metal object. Police sources quoted doctors as saying that the woman has not recovered enough to assist with the police investigation. “We will wait until she gets cured. We have formed special teams which are tracking and tracing the suspects,” a senior police officer said.
Earlier, the police had detained a 20-year-old rowdy, Surya, from Semmenchery in connection with the case, a day after the incident. Recently, they have detained an accomplice of the rowdy, identified as Charles and are investigating both of them, police sources said.
During the early hours of Tuesday, Lavanya was found unconscious on a deserted stretch along Thalambur Perumbakkam road.
A native of Vijayawada, the 27-year-old woman was working in Global Infotech in Navalur. The gang, police said fled with the woman’s 3 sovereign gold chain, her iPhone and the scooter she was riding before dumping her amidst the bushes by the roadside.
The woman, police said, left the office around 2 am on Tuesday after her shift and was riding along the Thalambur-Perumbakkam road. The gang who had trailed her scooter had attacked her from behind leading to her fall. They then took her to the deserted stretch of the road and took her valuables including her scooter and fled.
Police suspect that she was on the way to her sister, Nisha Jaiganesh's residence in Nookampalayam. A day later, her scooter- a blue Honda Activa was found near a Tasmac outlet in Semmenchery. Five special teams headed by St. Thomas Mount Deputy Commissioner have been formed to trace the suspects. Police suspect more than three persons to have involved in the attack.
Lavanya lived at a rented accommodation in Thalambur, a few km away from her office. Her family members have arrived from Andhra Pradesh. Further investigations are on.
