Alappuzha: Displaying remarkable courage and presence of mind, a 76-year-old woman in Ambalapuzha foiled a chain-snatching attempt by a youth who threatened her with a knife.

The accused, Padmakumar (39), managed to snap the gold chain worn by Mahilamani but abandoned it and fled when she raised an alarm. The police recovered the chain within hours and arrested the suspect.

The incident occurred at around 7.15 am on Saturday at Plakkudy Lane near Mahilamani's residence, Sivanandanam, at Komana in Ambalapuzha, as she was returning from a temple. Padmakumar allegedly pushed the elderly woman against a compound wall, held a knife to her neck and pulled at her necklace, breaking it.

In a swift reaction, Mahilamani grabbed the knife from the attacker and shouted for help. Alerted by her cries, residents rushed to the spot, forcing the assailant to flee towards a nearby private Ayurveda hospital before escaping in the direction of the railway station.

CCTV cameras along the route captured visuals of the suspect fleeing the scene. Based on the footage, police tracked him down and arrested him from the railway station premises by 10 am.

Mahilamani suffered a minor cut on her neck following the robbery attempt and sought treatment at the Urban Health Centre in Ambalapuzha. The gold chain and ‘thaali’ were also recovered from the roadside. "The youth is an accused in several robbery and drug cases," said a police officer. Padmakumar was later produced before the court.