Bhubaneswar, Feb. 10: Criminals today entered the house of a railway official at Jatni, about 20km from here, on the pretext of inspecting the electricity meter and snatched the gold chain of his wife at gun point.

The incident took place in railway staff colony near Jatni Railway Station this afternoon. The criminals also hit P. Sridevi, 35, with the butt of a pistol before escaping. Only Sridevi and her 65-year-old mother-in-law were at home when the criminals struck. Her husband, P.V.J. Raju, 45, who works as a pharmacist at railway hospital, and her two daughters were not at home.

“Around 12.05pm, three youths came to our house on a motorcycle. While one of them waited outside the main entrance, the two other entered the house and said my mother-in-law that they had come to take a reading of the electricity meter. All of a sudden, they entered the drawing room and tried to snatch my mangal sutra weighing more than 30 grams at gun point,” said Sridevi.

Later, when the home-maker resisted, the criminals hit her head four times with the pistol. By the time Sridevi screamed for help and her mother-in-law, who was sitting outside the home rushed to her rescue, both the criminals managed to escape on the motorcycle kept outside the house.

“I was at the hospital and as soon as I had got the information, I rushed to my quarter and found my wife profusely bleeding. She has suffered four injuries on her head,” said Raju.

Later, Raju registered a complaint at Jatni police station.

“The criminals might have been keeping a tab on the movement of all the family members. A quarter lying close to that of the victim was recently vacated and the goons have seized the opportunity,” said a police official. Chain snatching has become a major concern for residents.

The criminals often use their speed bikes to snatch gold chains and disappear after committing the crime. “Residents are advised not to allow any unidentified persons in their houses. If someone claims to be a delivery boy, the residents are advised to check their identity,” said a police official.