E-rickshaw driver looked on helplessly as armed men snatch woman's purse

New Delhi: "I tried to save madam, when she started screaming, I looked back and saw two bike-borne men trying to snatch her purse. She held it tight but as I tried to intervene and get down, they took out a pistol and pointed at madam, she left the bag after that. They also threatened to shoot me if I resisted," said Pappu, a battery rickshaw driver in Jasola, Sarita Vihar.

Ritika, 40, a school teacher, was on Friday morning going to her school on battery rickshaw when she experienced the nightmare. Two men on bikes intercepted her and tried to snatch her purse which she held tightly. She resisted and screamed for help. The battery rickshaw driver Pappu tried to intervene and save her from the two men in helmets. Now, the two men took out a pistol and held it towards the lady. Ritika, again shouted for help though her grip loosened.

"As I tried to get down and challenge them, they pointed the pistol towards me. I could not get down else they would have either shot me or madam. They snatched her purse and kept pointing the gun at me till they vanished on the bike," recalled Pappu, whose brave efforts were just not enough to save the woman from snatching. Later, Southeast Delhi Police registered a case under 392/34 of IPC in the incident.

The incident is of grave concern as the armed robbery happened in broad daylight. Snatching incidents are on the rise on stretch from Jasola Apollo Metro station to Jasola pocket 11 as the long road at night is poorly guarded by policemen. Several cases of snatching have been reported on the dark stretch as the criminals find easy prey and target passengers on the battery rickshaw. Few days back, another girl became the victim of snatchers as her mobile phone was snatched on the same stretch.