Madhya Pradesh Woman, 22, Killed By Man Stalking Her For 2 Years

Pooja was shot dead while on her way to work.

Bhopal:

A young woman was fatally shot by a man who had been harassing her for years in a residential area of Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar city on Wednesday morning.

The police said the suspect, Deepak Rathore, had been pursuing the woman, Pooja, 22, for marriage, but she had repeatedly turned him down.

Pooja, who worked at a restaurant and lived with her mother and two sisters in Brahmakund, a neighbourhood of Dhar, was on her way to work when Rathore confronted her and opened fire.

She died on the spot, the police said. Witnesses alerted the authorities and a manhunt was launched for Rathore.

Rathore had a history of stalking Pooja, and she had filed a complaint against him in court. He had also threatened her family and friends, according to the police.

Later in the day, the police located Rathore at his house in Brahmakund and tried to arrest him. But he resisted and fired at the officers, injuring one of them.

The police returned fire and wounded Rathore in the leg. He was taken to a government hospital for treatment and was under police custody.

The police also demolished Rathore’s house, which they said was an illegal encroachment on public land.

The municipal authorities joined the operation and cleared the area of any unauthorised structures.

The killing of Pooja has sparked outrage in the community, who demanded justice for her and strict action against Rathore.