50-yr-old woman shot dead after tiff in east Delhi

A 50-year-old woman was killed on Friday night after armed assailants allegedly opened fired at her and her son outside their home in east Delhi’s Welcome.

The incident took place around Friday midnight following an argument the woman’s son had with four men over loitering outside their home, said police.

The assailants fired more than 15 rounds at the mother-son duo. The woman sustained two bullet injuries – one in her chest and another in shoulder – and died on her way to a hospital.

Eight empty bullet shells were recovered from the crime scene. The late night firing triggered panic among local residents, with police being deployed in the area as a precautionary measure.

Police said the woman, Saroj Devi, used to allegedly sell narcotics such as cannabis (ganja), smack (charas), and poppy husk.

She lived with her husband and two sons at their Janta Colony home. Her two daughters are married.

AK Singla, deputy commissioner of police (northeast), said a case of murder was registered at the Welcome police station and one suspect has been arrested so far. “We are interrogating the accused to collect details about the other suspects. The identity of the arrested man cannot be disclosed at this moment as it will hamper our probe,” said Singla.

A senior police officer said Saroj’s husband, Om Prakash, was in Punjab when the incident took place on Friday night.

One of her sons, Bittu, works with an advocate at Karkardooma Court complex.

The other, Raju, does part-time private jobs.

On Friday around 11.30 pm, Raju had gone out to purchase medicines from a nearby shop. Around midnight, he was returning home when he spotted two men loitering outside his home.

An argument ensued when Raju asked the men why they were pacing around his house. The men were soon joined by two of their associates.

The altercation soon turned violent and two of the men whipped out pistols and fired at Raju. He screamed for help and rushed inside his home.

Hearing his screams, Raju’s mother came to the main door, while the attackers continued to fire. Two bullets hit Saroj and she collapsed, even as the assailants fled the crime scene.

“Saroj was being rushed to a nearby hospital when she succumbed,” said the officer. He added that they are scanning CCTV cameras installed around the crime scene for clues.