A 41-year-old woman died on Wednesday after being thrashed by factory workers who caught hold of a group of suspected thieves allegedly trying to break into the building in Delhi’s Samaypur Badli, police said. Another woman, who too was part of the group, was caught and sent to jail.

Police are yet to file a complaint against the factory workers.

Around 5am on Wednesday, a group of six-seven women began dismantling the rear entrance of the building where pressure cookers were assembled and stored, police said.

“The workers at the factory woke up and caught the women red-handed trying to steal pressure cooker parts. While most of the other women managed to escape, two were caught,” said Gaurav Sharma, the deputy commissioner of police (outer-north district).

The deceased was identified as Sakeena (her last name remains unknown), a widow. She lived in Bhalswa Dairy with her six children aged between 10 and 20. She and her oldest son were the earning members of the family.

“The workers beat up the two women. The owner of the factory called the police after which a team of personnel visited the spot. One of the women [Sakeena] suffered injuries and was taken to a hospital. The other woman [Afsana] was taken to the police station,” said Sharma.

Sakeena was treated at the hospital before police formally arrested her, and produced the two women in a court on Wednesday afternoon. “When it was time for the women to be taken to jail, Sakeena’s condition worsened. She was rushed back to the hospital, but she died by the time,” said Sharma said.

Sakeena’s oldest son, Arbid Khan, said his mother was innocent, adding that the nature of injuries suggested his mother was beaten with sticks, rods and a screw driver. “She was left with a fractured arm and had visible injuries all over her body. The wounds on her limbs seemed to suggest she was beaten up with a screw driver,” said Khan.

“My mother was a rag-picker who brought home Rs 100-200 every day. She would leave with other women from our neighbourhood around 4.30am every morning and return home by afternoon,” said Sakeena’s second son, Mohammad Sarbid, who is differently abled.

DCP Sharma said Sakeena was a thief who, along with some women, would steal from godowns in neighbourhoods. “We are checking her past record,” the DCP said when asked whether there was any police case against her.

The officer said a decision to register a first information report (FIR) against the factory workers would be taken only after the completion of a magisterial inquiry into Sakeena’s death.

Sakeena’s relatives alleged that she was thrashed by a female officer even after her arrest, but Sharma denied that and said Sakeena wasn’t even taken to the police station.

First Published: Mar 15, 2019 01:46 IST