Woman shot at by stalker, battling for life

NEW DELHI: A 20-year-old woman was shot at a by a man, who had been stalking her for some time, near her house in Harsh Vihar area of north east Delhi around 8 am on Monday.

Police said the woman collapsed to the ground after being shot in the stomach and was immediately rushed to the hospital.

At the time of reporting, the woman was reportedly battling for life at GTB Hospital, where she is undergoing a life-saving operation.

Minutes after she was shot, police was called by residents in the same lane as the woman.

Police added that the attacker has been identified as her neighbour Pradeep Kumar. The woman was on her way to work in a Noida-based company when the incident happened. Cops said that Pradeep had been waiting for her a few metres outside her house.

"The accused worked in BSES as a contractual employee. He resides in the next lane to the victim's house. He was waiting for the woman outside her house and shot her in the stomach before fleeing the spot," said a senior police officer.

He further said that the accused is a married man and had recently shifted to another house in the same locality.

The victim's family alleged that Pradeep had been harassing their daughter for a long time, but she had chosen to ignore his repeated advances. They have demanded strict action against the accused.

Sources said that the woman's father had passed away a few years ago, leaving the victim, her two sisters and her brother bereaved.

To support her family, the victim had recently taken a job in a private company located in neighbouring Noida.

Another police official said that several teams have been formed to located and arrest the accused. Raids are being carried out at various places across the Capital.