KOCHI: A youth's attempt to rape a home-alone elderly woman was foiled by the timely intervention of her daughter-in-law here, police said on Sunday.

The incident took place around 10.30am in the busy Kaloor area. The 33-year-old man, Manoj of Cherthala in Alappuzha district, was later arrested.

The 79-year-old woman was standing outside her house when Manoj, claiming to be a vegetable vendor, requested drinking water. When she went into the house to fetch water, he followed the woman, overpowered and gagged her.

The woman's daughter-in-law, who returned home, raised an alarm, and as the neighbours started gathering, Manoj fled the scene, police said.

Later in the evening, he returned to get his cellular phone which he had kept in a flowerpot in the nearby building. A security guard posted there recognized Manoj, and with others' help, detained and handed him over to the police. Police said the woman had identified the accused.

Further investigation revealed that she was not Manoj's lone victim. He had tried to rape 65-year-old resident of CP Ummer Road on Friday night. The Central police were searching for him in that case when he was arrested two days later.

"The accused went to the victim's house around 12 midnight on Friday claiming to be a neighbor, saying someone, after snatching his daughter's chain, was hiding behind their house. When the woman turned back, he caught her from behind. However, the alert woman attacked him with a piece of wood, injuring him," police said.

"We are probing whether he is involved in similar cases," circle inspector K Francis Shelby of Ernakulam Central police said.

Meanwhile, city police commissioner K G James asked his men to ensure the safety of senior citizens.

"Each police station has been maintaining a record of senior citizens who are staying alone. The police stations' numbers were given to them. There is also a help desk for senior citizens in police stations," said James.

Manoj had served jail term in a theft case registered by the Cherthala police in 2011.

Manoj, son of Kanathaparambu Veettil Subramaniam hailing from Cherthala in Alappuzha district on Saturday approached the elderly woman, who was working outside her house, around 10.30am. Claiming to be a vegetable vendor, he requested the woman to give him water to drink. She stays with her husband at the house.

"However, at the time of the incident, the woman was alone at the house. On confirming this, he followed her inside. After overpowering her, he stuffed a piece of cloth in her mouth to make sure she didn't scream for help," police said. However, fortunately for the victim, her daughter-in-law came to the house right at that time and sensing foul play, called out to the neighbours for help. When people gathered outside the house, the accused fled the spot.

However, he returned in the evening to take his mobile phone, which he had kept in a flower pot in the nearby building. A security guard employed in the building recognized him as the person whom he had seen escaping from the senior citizen's residence earlier in the morning. The guard alerted the family members who captured him. Later, he was handed over to the police.

"The victim has identified the accused and we arrested him," said the police officer .

However, the 79-year-old was not his lone victim. On Friday night, he had attempted to rape a 52-year-old woman staying on CP Ummer Road. Ernakulam Central police have registered a complaint against Manoj.

"The accused arrived at the victim's house around midnight, claiming to be a neighbour, and said that somebody snatched his sister's chain and has been hiding behind their house. When the woman turned her back, he held her from behind. However, the alert woman attacked him with a piece of wood lying in the room. Injured, the accused fled the spot," police said.

"We are probing whether he is involved in other similar cases," said Ernakulam Central circle inspector , K Francis Shelby.

With increasing attacks on senior citizens, the city police commissioner KG James has asked his men to take additional measures to ensure the safety of senior citizens. "Each police station has been maintaining a record of senior citizens who stay alone. They have also been given the telephone numbers of nearby police stations for contact in case of emergency. Stations also have a help desk for senior citizens," said James.

According to the police, Manoj had served jail term in a theft case registered in Cherthala police station in 2011.

