Sangeeta Sharma had barely walked 250 metres when she got caught in the firing by a gang and sustained a bullet injury (Express Photo/Prem Nath Pandey)
On Monday morning, Sangeeta Sharma (37) stepped out of her home in Burari to head to a cable factory where she worked as a labourer. She had barely walked 250 metres when she got caught in the firing by a gang and sustained a bullet injury. A few hours later, she died at LNJP Hospital. A police officer informed her family and asked them take her body from the hospital.
Ever since they heard the news, Sangeeta’s 54-year-old husband and 15-year-old daughter have sat huddled in their one-room house, unable to get over the shock of her sudden death.
Police said around two dozen shots were fired. (Express Photo/Prem Nath Pandey)
Breaking into tears, her daughter said her 10-year-old brother is in Mathura and does not know his mother is gone. “She was the only earning member of our family. Every day, she would finish work at home and leave for the factory. My mother never took a holiday unless it was really necessary. Whenever I asked her not to work for such long hours, she would scoff and say ‘ghar kaise chalega’. Before she left for work Monday, I had asked her to come home early as I wanted to go to the market. But she never came back,” said the girl.
She added that Sangeeta earned Rs 5,000 a month and an additional Rs 1,500 when she worked overtime. “My mother’s salary took care of our school fees and my father’s medicines. What will we do now,” she cried.
Sangeeta’s husband, Surender, who is bedridden, responded: “Padhai chodo, khane ka paisa nahi hai… Humein bhi maar do, hum kaise zinda rahein.”
Sangeeta’s relatives said they don’t have money to bring the body from the hospital. “We will seek help from our local MLA,” said a relative.