A 45-year-old woman displayed extraordinary courage by fighting two bike-borne snatchers for nearly 23 minutes after they attempted to snatch her bag in Etah's Jaithra area late on May 6. The police arrested the accused following an encounter early Saturday, officials confirmed.
Incident Details
CCTV footage captured the harrowing ordeal of Anita Devi, who was punched, pushed into a drain, and dragged along the road by the assailants. The accused fled only when nearby residents began moving toward the spot after hearing her screams.
Anita was returning from Agra with her 23-year-old son Ritik, whom she had taken to a doctor. The mother-son duo alighted at Jaithra bus stand and started walking home around 11 pm. "My son walked ahead quickly, while I was slowly making my way home through the lane. At a turn of the lane, two bike-borne men coming from behind targeted me," she recounted.
Identification and Arrest
Police identified the accused as Mohd Armaan, the pillion rider, and Shakeel Khan, the motorcycle rider. According to Anita and CCTV footage, Armaan dismounted and tried to snatch her bag. When she resisted, he punched her in the face. Despite the assault, she held on to the bag. The attacker then threw her onto the road, pushed her into a drain, and continued trying to snatch the bag. The footage showed the accused dragging Anita along the road, but she never loosened her grip.
Two people standing about 200 meters away heard her screams and moved toward the spot, prompting the accused to flee on the motorcycle. An FIR was registered at Jaithra police station on May 8 under BNS sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 304 (snatching).
Police Response
Etah SSP Elamaran G praised the woman's bravery, stating that it sends a strong message about women's safety and resilience. "Women's safety is the top priority of police and administration. Strict action is being taken against criminals to ensure a fear-free environment," he said after felicitating Anita with a shawl, bouquet, and memento on Saturday.
Police formed teams and scanned around 100 CCTV cameras to identify the accused. On Saturday, they arrested Armaan and Shakeel after an encounter, during which one of them was shot. Police recovered two .315 bore country-made pistols, two live cartridges, Rs 3,500 in cash, and the motorcycle used in the crime.
