Bantwal  :  Three persons arrested including the caretaker of a 72-year-old woman, on the charge of murdering the woman and taking away valuables from the house.

The arrested persons are Elma Praschita Barretto (25) of Amtady village, Satish (28) and Charan (29), both from Narikombu village.

The police said that the 72-year-old Benedict Carlo was staying along with her daughter-in-law in their house in Ammunje village of Bantwal taluk. Barretto was coming regularly to Ms. Carlo’s house to give her medicine and look after the latter’s other needs. On January 26, Ms. Carlo was found dead in the house when her daughter-in-law was not in town. The Bantwal Rural Police registered a case of unnatural death.

Ms. Carlo’s daughter-in-law returned and found Ms. Carlo’s ornaments missing. Suspecting that it could be murder for gain, Ms. Carlo’s son filed a complaint with the Bantwal Rural Police.

After ground intelligence inputs and collection of evidence, the police arrested Ms. Barretto and the two others. The accused are said to have smothered the elderly woman to death. The police recovered a gold chain, seven gold rings and a pair each of gold bangles and earrings of Ms. Carlo’s from the accused.

The three persons have been charged with offences under Sections 302 (murder) and 392 (robbery) of the Indian Penal Code, the police said.