Elderly woman's gold chain snatched at grocery shop in Ellisbridge

An unidentified man allegedly snatched a gold chain worth ₹45,000 from the neck of a 58-year-old woman at a grocery shop in the Ellisbridge area of Ahmedabad earlier this week. The complaint, filed four days after the incident, has led to an FIR being registered at Ellisbridge police station. Police have launched an investigation to trace the accused.

The complaint was lodged by Dharmik Shah (29), a resident of the Mithakali. The incident occurred on the evening of July 14, 2025 at his family-run grocery shop, opposite Town Hall, Ellisbridge.

Shah, who was away delivering orders at the time of the incident, stated that his mother, Sushilaben (58), was alone at the shop around 3 to 4 pm when a man, estimated to be between 25 and 35 years of age, approached the counter asking for red chilli powder. When she momentarily turned away to fetch the item, the man allegedly reached over the counter, forcibly snatched the gold chain she was wearing and fled.

Shah said he was informed of the incident when his mother called him around 7.30 pm. By the time he returned to the shop, the accused had disappeared. As they were uncertain about the exact weight and value of the chain, for the next few days, they were locating the bill to confirm the details before reporting the theft. The chain was later confirmed to weigh approximately one tola (around 10 grams), valued at ₹45,000.

The delay in filing the complaint, according to Shah, was due to his efforts to retrieve documentation to support the FIR. The complaint was officially lodged on July 18.

Acting on the information, Ellisbridge police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and are currently reviewing CCTV footage from nearby shops and intersections to identify and apprehend the accused.

“We are pursuing all leads. Since the suspect is unknown and there is no clear footage yet, we are relying on witness accounts and surveillance footage from the surrounding area,” said a police officer from the Ellisbridge police station.

No arrests have been made so far.