Snatchers shoot at woman

Two bike-borne men shot at a 26-year-old woman in front of her house in east Delhi’s Vivek Vihar on Monday when she rushed to help her neighbour, whose gold chain they were trying to snatch, police said.

Komal Malhotra, a postgraduate in English from Hansraj College, was shot at when she grabbed one of the assailants after she rushed out of her house when she heard the scream of her neighbour, 32-year-old neighbour Anshu Bhasin.

The incident happened at 8.15 am at A-Block of Jhilmil Colony. Bhasin was returning home after seeing off her daughter to her school bus when the assailants tried to snatch her gold chain.

“As I was returning I saw two men on a bike approaching me. As they came nearer they slowed down. I got suspicious and started walking faster,” she said.

“I entered the main gate of A- Block near my house. When I reached near Komal’s house, the bikers suddenly came next to me and the pillion rider tried to pull my gold chain. I resisted and pulled it in the other direction and he fell from the bike.” She also received scratches on her neck in the melee.

Holding the assailant’s arm, she started screaming, following which Komal came out
of her house with a broom in her hand and started hitting the assailant, police said. Komal also caught hold of his arm to prevent him from fleeing.

After a few failed attempts at freeing himself, the accused fished out a country-made pistol and fired at Komal. The bullet first hit her index finger, and after piercing it grazed her chest.

Hearing the gunshot, the relatives and neighbours of the two women also rushed to the spot. But the accused fled in the motorcycle. The two women were taken to Deepak Memorial Hospital, where doctors said Komal’s condition was stable and a surgery was performed on her finger.

Bhasin said the shooter appeared to be a teenager, and the boy who was riding the bike was wearing a helmet.

A case has been filed under section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code, and police are searching for the assailants.