19-year-old woman who fell off auto while fighting snatchers dies in Ghaziabad

Kirti Singh had suffered head fractures as she fell from the speeding auto while fighting off two men on a motorbike who snatched her phone

A 19-year-old woman who fell off a speeding auto while resisting a snatching bid by two men on a motorcycle on National Highway 9 (NH-9) in Ghaziabad on Friday succumbed to her injuries late Sunday night, police officers said.

The deceased woman, Kirti Singh, was a resident of Hapur and a first-year Btech student at a private engineering college near Crossings Republik. (HT)

The deceased woman, Kirti Singh, was a resident of Hapur and a first-year Btech student at a private engineering college near Crossings Republik in Ghaziabad.

On Friday afternoon, Singh hailed an auto from outside her college along with her friend, Diksha Jindal. When the auto got on to a flyover on NH-9 near Masuri, two men on a motorcycle caught up with it and tried to grab Singh’s phone.

Ankit Singh, the deceased woman’s brother, said, “My sister was seated at the left end of the auto. Two men on a motorcycle caught hold of her hand to snatch her phone. My sister did not let go and fell out of the auto and suffered head fractures.”

Her friend rushed her to a medical college in Hapur, from where she was referred to Yashoda Hospital in Ghaziabad on Friday night. There, the doctors performed surgery to remove a clot in the brain. Doctors said that Singh was in the intensive care unit and succumbed late Sunday evening.

“She had suffered severe head injuries and a brain haemorrhage. Despite our efforts, she succumbed,” said Dr Sangeeta Garg, chief medical superintendent of the hospital.

“The student succumbed during treatment on Sunday as she had suffered severe head injuries due to the fall. We arrested one of the two suspects on Saturday after a shootout and are searching for the second suspect. We have also suspended the station house officer of the Masuri police station due to laxity in supervision,” said Vivek Chandra Yadav, deputy commissioner of police (rural).

After the incident, Kiriti’s family registered a first information report under the Indian Penal Code’s Section 392 (robbery) at the Masuri police station. On Saturday evening, the police spotted two men on a bike near Sikrod, who opened fire when they saw the police team. The police fired in retaliation and arrested one of them, identified as Balbir Kumar alias Bobil. The other suspect, identified as Jitendra Kumar, fled the scene. The two suspects had snatched Singh’s mobile phone, said investigators. The phone was recovered from Kumar, they added.