New Delhi: A woman who had accused a builder of allegedly raping her 15-year-old daughter along with his friends, was shot at in southeast Delhi’s Jamia Nagar area today.
The victim’s family alleged that the woman was being pressurised by the accused and also getting death threats to make her withdraw the complaint, even as police said it is to be investigated whether the two cases are linked.
The woman was taking her daughter to a nearby hospital for a routine check-up, when a person, who had his face covered with a muffler, opened fire at her. One of the bullets hit the woman in her back and she collapsed on the spot, police said.
Following the incident, the assailant fled along with another person who was standing nearby with a motorcycle, they said.
The woman has been admitted to AIIMS Trauma Centre, where she underwent a surgery and is stated to be out of danger, police said.
She had lodged a complaint at Jamia Nagar Police Station on December 12 saying her 15-year-old daughter had been raped for over a period of six months. One of the accused, a builder, has been identified by the victim, while the rest are yet to be identified.
The accused had also filmed the act and had threatened to upload it on the Internet if the girl told anyone about the crime. The victim was three months pregnant when she told her mother about it, who had then approached police through an NGO.
A case under relevant sections of IPC and POCSO Act was registered. The main accused is absconding and police is conducting raids at his possible hideouts.
“Both the cases — the rape and the shooting incident — may or may not be related. It is being investigated. A case under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of IPC has been registered,” a senior police officer said.
DCW chief Swati Maliwal visited the rape victim’s mother at AIIMS.
“Rapist not scared in Delhi. No fear of law. Btween 2012 to 14, 31446 crime against women, only 146 conviction. Need swift certain punishment,” she later tweeted.