Vasant Vihar: Woman shot by man she accused of rape

Police said that the woman had filed a rape case against one of the accused last year, and he was released on bail last month.

Two motorcycle-borne men allegedly shot at a 30-year-old woman in an auto-rickshaw in Vasant Vihar on Wednesday night, police said, adding that the two were arrested in the next two days. The woman is undergoing treatment at a hospital and is currently stable.

The officer said the accused was released on bail a month ago. (Pexel)

Police said that the woman had filed a rape case against one of the accused last year, and he was released on bail last month.

Deputy commissioner of police (south west) Amit Goel said the prime accused was identified as Abuzair Saifi, 30, a resident of Okhla Vihar. He was riding pillion with his friend Aman Sukhla, a resident of Tughlakabad Extension.

A passerby called the police at 9.49 pm on Wednesday and informed them about a woman being shot at in Vasant Vihar. On reaching the spot, police found the auto-rickshaw driver, while the woman had already been taken to a hospital.

“The driver told police that the woman had boarded the auto from Basant Lok and was going to her residence in Safdarjung Enclave. When they reached Poorvi Marg, there was a loud sound, and she shouted that she had been shot at,” Goel said. A PCR van took her to AIIMS Trauma Centre.

At the hospital, doctors told police that the woman was conscious and the bullet had brushed past her chest. “When questioned, the woman said that she works at a salon in Basant Lok and was on her way back after work. She was on a call inside the auto-rickshaw when two men on a motorcycle approached from behind, and the pillion rider pulled out a gun and opened fire at her,” an officer aware of the matter said.

She identified the shooter as Saifi. A case was registered at Vasant Vihar police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Arms Act.

The investigating officer said CCTV footage of the incident was obtained, and Sukhla was arrested on Thursday. Saifi was nabbed on Friday, and the bike and the country-made pistol used in the crime were recovered from the possession of the accused.

Another officer aware of the matter said the woman had lodged an FIR against Saifi at Malviya Nagar police station in 2024 on charges of rape, criminal intimidation and causing hurt. He was arrested for the same last year.

“The possible link between both cases is under investigation,” DCP Goel said.

The officer said the accused was released on bail a month ago. “During interrogation, he said he tried to reach out to her and ask her to withdraw the case, but she did not respond. He said that he decided to teach her a lesson. He started conducting recce on her routes and checked what time she leaves the house and comes back. On Thursday, he decided to shoot at her,” the officer said.

The accused are currently in police custody. Police said further interrogation is underway to ascertain the motive and the extent of their criminal background.