A 73-year-old elderly woman was brutally stabbed by her 23-year-old domestic help at her residence in South Delhi's Greater Kailash 1 area on Thursday afternoon. However, despite being stabbed multiple times, the elderly woman fought back and snatched the knife from her maid and attacked her.
She managed to inform her neighbour, who in turn informed the police control room (PCR). In the meantime, the maid too informing PCR about her injuries.
Despite being injured and hit twice by a kitchen knife near her neck, Neeraj Gupta, the elderly woman managed to retaliate and attacked her 23-year-old house help Tulsi with the same knife. Police said that Gupta, who is now admitted to AIIMS in critical condition after the attack, used to live in the second floor of an apartment in Greater Kailash-1. The incident was triggered when Tulsi allegedly demanded Rs 5 lakh cash from Gupta for getting her mother treated. Tulsi has been arrested, but police are still investigating the matter.
The elderly woman lives with her family. Since her husband and son work during the day, she remains alone in her house for the most part of the day. The incident highlights how unsafe are our senior citizens in the national capital.
According to a senior police officer, the incident took place around 3.30 pm on the residence of Neeraj Gupta while she was sitting on a sofa in her balcony and talking to her friend.
According to the written complaint given by her, “Tulsi works as a domestic help in my house. She cleans the house. On November 30, at around 7:45am my maid Tulsi came home. She has been working here for the past five to six months. Within a few minutes, she started crying claiming that her mother is ill. Seeing her wails, I consoled her. Then at around 10:45am, I went for a massage session at Hauz Khas and returned home at around 2:15 pm. I cooked my own lunch and offered her. However, she refused citing that she is having a back pain”.
“At around 3:30pm, I asked Tulsi to go back home. She lives in JJ Colony in Tigri. But she denied saying that her back is still aching. In the meantime, I went into the balcony, sat on a sofa and started chatting with my friend on the cell phone. Suddenly, Tulsi came and tried to choke me with my duppatta. I somehow managed to free myself. Within a few seconds, Tulsi went into the kitchen and came back with a knife. She started threatening me to give Rs 5 lakh for her mother's treatment. I tried to talk to her but she had hit my neck. When she attacked me for the second time, I managed to take away the knife and hit her on her leg in self defense”, she said.
The woman further stated, “I then went downstairs, informed my neighbour who then informed my husband and son. Police too was called in. Police said that the victim offered Rs 10,000 as help. “The elderly woman even offered to help her with her more money if Tulsi let her call her husband but the maid kept hitting,”
The elderly woman added, “Despite being attacked, I tried to talk to Tulsi that if she wants to get her mother treated, she can't hurt someone else's mother but in vain.” “Tulsi did not heed to her advice and attacked her with a kitchen knife”, said a police officer.
“The Station House Officer (SHO) Naib Sarai was informed about the PCR call of robbery, made by Tulsi, the maid. She made this call to create an alibi while she herself had attacked Neeraj Gupta (the landlady).
The statement of Mrs Neeraj Gupta was recorded as per which Tulsi, at about, 4 pm had tried to harm her by using scarf and knife as she wanted Rs 5 lakh from her reportedly for her mother's treatment. The complainant very intelligently countered the attack upon her and convinced the maid to leave. The family had just shifted to GK-1 on Diwali from Sarv Priya Vihar.
The injured woman has been discharged from hospital and is reportedly fine. Tulsi has been arrested,” said Romil Baaniya, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South)
Police on Friday said that they have registered a case under the section of 394 (Voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) of the Indian Penal Code at the Greater Kailash police station.