A female staff member at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, was attacked and robbed inside a hospital lift on Sunday, January 15. The victim, identified as Varsha Soni, a ward attendant in the gynecology department, was alone in the lift when a masked man entered, asked for directions, and then suddenly tried to snatch her gold chain and mangalsutra. The assailant fled through the stairs after taking the mangalsutra, while the pearl necklace fell inside the lift. No security guard was present at the time.

The incident, captured on CCTV, has caused widespread concern across the city, raising questions about safety and law enforcement in sensitive public institutions. A written complaint was filed at Bagsewania Police Station, but a formal case has not yet been registered. Preliminary investigation suggests that security was relaxed on Sunday, allowing the attacker to escape through the IPD gate.

Authorities note that under India’s new criminal code, chain snatching now carries lighter penalties, which police say has led to a sharp rise in such crimes in Bhopal over the past year.