THRISSUR: Two women have been arrested for allegedly cheating a 70-year-old woman of around 6.5 sovereigns of gold ornaments and ₹6,500 by claiming that the property where her house stood was affected by a serpent curse. The arrested women are Sujatha (28), of Vemballoor, and Roja (43), of Pappinivattom. The incident took place around 1.20 p.m. on August 6.

The victim, Swarnalatha, lives at Kanjani Puthenkulam. The two women reached her house on the pretext of selling lemongrass oil. They allegedly frightened her by claiming that the property had a serpent curse and that her second son would die of a snakebite within two days.

The women then told Swarnalatha that, to remedy the supposed serpent curse, she had to prepare and offer a serpent's egg and a sculpture made of gold. Believing their claims, she handed over around 6.5 sovereigns of gold ornaments, including her eldest daughter-in-law's necklace, and ₹6,500 as an offering.

Swarnalatha realised that she had been cheated only after the two women left the house. She subsequently lodged a complaint at the Anthikad police station. Following an investigation, police arrested the two women and recovered the stolen gold from the jewellery shop where they had sold it.