Kochi, 18 September (H.S.): A five-member armed gang allegedly assaulted and stripped three migrant women during a robbery at a rented house near Samskara Junction in Palarivattom, police said.

The incident occurred during the early hours of Thursday when the gang forced its way into the house occupied by seven migrant workers from West Bengal and Assam. The victims, including three women, work at hotels in the city.

According to the complaint, the intruders threatened the occupants with knives and other weapons before assaulting them and searching the house. Cash, gold ornaments, mobile phones and other valuables worth an estimated ₹6.05 lakh were stolen.

The robbers allegedly took ₹1.20 lakh in cash, 10 mobile phones valued at ₹3.05 lakh, identity documents and ATM cards. They also forced one of the workers to transfer ₹12,000 online to an account linked to the gang.

The women were then allegedly ordered to remove their clothes. Police said the assailants apparently subjected them to the humiliating ordeal to check whether they were wearing waist chains or concealing other gold ornaments.

A gold chain valued at ₹1.20 lakh and a pair of gold earrings worth approximately ₹60,000 were among the items stolen from the house.

The victims named in the complaint include Arman Ali, 23, Raja Babu, 26, Indejar, 25, and Fiszul Haq, besides the three women. Palarivattom police registered a case based on a complaint lodged by Fiszul Haq and launched an investigation to identify and arrest the suspects.

Preliminary information suggests that three members of the five-member gang are Malayalis. Police are examining surveillance camera footage from the neighbourhood and tracing the bank account into which the money was transferred. Investigators are also checking whether the perpetrators had prior knowledge about the workers, their earnings and valuables kept in the house.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman