NRI pilgrim couple attacked at Tirumala

A middle aged NRI pilgrim couple from Singapore were attacked by an unidentified youth with a knife in a robbery attempt on the stairway leading the hill temple of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala here today,police said.
The couple have been admitted to a government hospital here where their condition was stated to be out of danger.
The couple, hailing from Pattukotai in Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu, were identified as Govinda Thyagarajan (50) and Latha Thyagarajan (45). Thyagarajan is working in a harbour in Singapore, police said.
The incident occurred when the couple were trekking the hills on foot near Akkagarla cave temple, 2 km from Tirumla police said.

The youth who followed the couple, stabbed the woman with a knife on the abdomen and neck and then the man on the neck and fled empty hand after the couple cried for help, police said.
A pilgrim family coming down from the hills on a vehicle drove the injured couple to a nearby security post.
A search was on for the youth, police said.