A 51-year-old teacher performing Census duty was targeted and robbed of her gold chain by a masked assailant at the Vandalur railway station footbridge. The incident, captured on video, has sparked security concerns in Chennai.

  • A 51-year-old teacher was robbed at Vandalur railway station footbridge.
  • The victim, Lebanal Selvi, was on official Census duty.
  • The assailant snatched a gold chain weighing 6.5 sovereigns.
  • Police are currently reviewing CCTV footage to identify the masked suspect.

In a brazen daylight robbery, a 51-year-old woman assigned to Census duty was robbed of her gold chain near the Vandalur railway station on Saturday, August 22, 2026. The incident occurred as the victim was navigating the foot overbridge, a common transit point for commuters.

The victim, identified as Lebanal Selvi, is a resident of Pudhunagar in Mannivakkam and serves as a teacher at the Oonamancheri Panchayat Union Government Middle School. After completing her assigned Census duties in Oonamancheri on Saturday evening, she was heading toward the station to catch a train home.

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Details of the Assault

According to reports from the Tambaram police, the assailant was a masked individual who had been stalking the teacher. As she was climbing the steps of the station's foot overbridge, the unidentified person suddenly lunged and snatched her gold chain, which weighed approximately 6.5 sovereigns. Despite her desperate cries for help, the thief managed to evade capture by swiftly crossing the railway tracks and scaling a nearby wall.

The brazen nature of this crime in a high-traffic area highlights a critical gap in transit security.

Why This Matters

BozokMedia analysis shows that such targeted thefts in public infrastructure like railway bridges pose a significant threat to female commuters and government employees on field duty. The use of masks and the tactical evasion of the suspect suggest a level of premeditation that demands increased patrolling in suburban Chennai.

Historical Background

The outskirts of Chennai, particularly around major transit hubs like Vandalur and Tambaram, have seen a rise in snatching incidents. Law enforcement agencies have been under pressure to improve surveillance and rapid response times to curb these opportunistic crimes against working professionals.

Did You Know?: Gold is measured in 'sovereigns' in India, where one sovereign is traditionally equivalent to approximately 8 grams of gold.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Where exactly did the robbery take place?
Answer: The robbery occurred on the foot overbridge of the Vandalur railway station in Chennai.

Question 2: What is the status of the police investigation?
Answer: The Mannivakkam police are currently analyzing CCTV footage to track the movements of the masked assailant.