Delhi woman shot at by ’stalker’ for spurning marriage proposal, survives

A 24-year-old woman, working as a chartered accountant for a private company in Gurugram, was shot at allegedly by her ‘jilted lover’ in northwest Delhi’s Ashok Vihar Phase-IV on Saturday. The bullet grazed past the victim’s chest and did not pierce her skin.

Police said the incident took place at the woman’s maternal grandmother’s house.

Police said the accused, identified as 30-year-old Harish Sharma, was enraged because the woman had reportedly “snubbed” him and had “spurned” his marriage proposal.

Deputy commissioner of police (northwest) Aslam Khan said Sharma fled after the shooting but was caught from his house in east Delhi’s Shahdara on Sunday morning. A countrymade pistol used for the crime was recovered from him. He had purchased the pistol for Rs 45,000 from Uttar Pradesh’s Muradnagar 20 days ago for allegedly killing the woman, said DCP Khan.

A CCTV camera installed in the victim’s neighbourhood recorded Sharma fleeing the crime spot..

Police said the crime was reported to the police around 10.30pm. The woman was at her grandmother’s C-block house when someone rang the doorbell. She opened the door and found Sharma standing outside.

“Sharma wanted to talk to her. But she asked him to leave. This apparently angered Sharma who whipped out a pistol and shot at the woman even as she tried to close the door. He then fled,” said a police officer.

The woman survived as the bullet allegedly grazed past her body, causing injuries to her chest. Hearing the gunshot, the woman’s neighbours rushed to the scene. Her sister and brother-in-law, who live in the neighbourhood, then rushed her to a nearby private hospital, where her condition was stated to be stable and out of danger.

A case of attempt to murder was registered at the Bharat Nagar police station and investigation taken up. During the probe, the woman’s family members said they suspected the role of Sharma, who according to them had been “stalking” and “threatening to kill” her for some months.

“The woman in her statement also alleged that Sharma used to harass and stalk her. He used to follow her to her office in Gurugram. She had complained about the same to her office management,” the officer added.

The investigating team analysed the CCTV footage and Sharma was identified as the man fleeing from the crime scene. A trap was laid outside his home in Shahdara. “We nabbed him when he returned home around 3am on Sunday,” added the DCP.

DCP Khan said Sharma had told them that he was annoyed with the woman as she had got engaged to another man around five months ago.

Sharma and the woman knew each other as they were neighbours and friends for the last ten years. The woman has not filed a police complaint against Sharma, said Khan.

“Sharma claimed that they were in a relationship. He told us that she snubbed him and decided to marry somebody else. He claims the woman was engaged to him. He has, however, failed to produce any evidence to prove his claims,” Khan said, adding the woman’s fiancé had also asked Sharma to stay away from her.

Police said Sharma is unemployed.

Police said Sharma’s family members claimed that they had disowned him last month because of his “obsession” for the woman. He had quit his private job and started playing musical instruments in religious events as his part time work.

The DCP said the woman’s mother and brother live in their Shahdara home while she mostly stayed with her maternal grandparents at their Ashok Vihar home since childhood.

First Published: Aug 06, 2018 08:31 IST