Elderly Chhattisgarh woman shot dead in bank kiosk loot bid

RAIPUR: A 65-year-old woman in Jashpur district was shot dead during a loot bid by two unidentified individuals who attempted a SBI bank kiosk center. Instead, they got into an argument with an employee, and when the woman, the employee’s grandmother, tried to intervene, the suspect shot her.
The incident took place on Tuesday at Bataikela village in Jashpur’s Kansabel area when two persons came to the SBI kiosk center on bicycles and tried to loot the cash. Sanju Gupta, the kiosk owner, resisted. The perpetrators then started beating him severely for interrupting him, when Gupta’s grandmother, Urmila, tried to stop them and intervened.
Fearing that the woman’s screams would attract more people, one of the suspects pulled out a gun and shot her, seriously wounding her. Gupta said the suspect fired four to five bullets, one of which hit the woman’s chest.
The two fled the spot towards the nearby forest and dumped their bicycle on the spot itself.
Although the woman was rushed to hospital in serious condition, she succumbed during treatment.
While the incident took place in a village, it was peaceful when the suspect attacked in broad daylight. Locals have expressed serious concerns about the safety of the villagers as shooting incidents are not common in rural areas.
There is more unrest among the population because the suspects are still at large and they suspect that they both belong to the same village and were known to the victim’s family.
The police have launched a search in the region and the area has been cordoned off. It is suspected that the suspects are hiding in the forest and will be arrested soon.
Sanju Gupta also sustained injuries in the attack and was admitted to hospital.