Woman shot dead at home in Jungpura, son arrested

A 37-year-old woman was shot dead inside her home in Delhi’s Jungpura area late Monday night. According to the police, the woman died due to an accidental firing involving her own son. The victim, identified as Sumati, was brought dead to Moolchand Hospital with a gunshot wound to her face. Police investigations revealed that the shot was fired by Sumati’s 18-year-old son, Tarun, who has been arrested.

The police said that a PCR call regarding the incident was received at around 10.39 pm on Monday at the Lajpat Nagar police station. Subsequent inquiry traced the place of occurrence to Pant Nagar, Jungpura, falling under the jurisdiction of Hazrat Nizamuddin police station.

According to senior police officers, the incident happened inside the family’s house in the JJ cluster, where Sumati lived with her husband and children. Earlier that evening, Tarun had allegedly procured an illegal country-made pistol from an unidentified person in the Ashram area. Later that night, while handling the firearm inside the house, he began showing it to his mother. During the demonstration, the pistol accidentally discharged, and the bullet struck Sumati in the face, causing fatal injuries.

“The accused has disclosed that the firing was unintentional and occurred while he was showing the weapon to his mother,” a senior police officer said. “There was no previous enmity or domestic dispute reported. Prima facie, it appears to be a case of reckless handling of an illegal firearm.”

After the firing, Tarun allegedly panicked and fled the spot. Shortly after police received the distress call and began their search, they swiftly traced and apprehended him. During questioning soon after his arrest, he led investigators to a nearby drain where he had thrown the weapon in an attempt to dispose of evidence. The country-made pistol was later recovered from the drain.

Sumati worked as a domestic help in nearby households and was the primary support system for her family. Her husband, Chotu, is a daily-wage gardener. The couple has three children, including an 11-year-old daughter. Neighbours described Sumati as a hardworking woman who was deeply invested in her children’s future. “This is a heartbreaking incident. She worked tirelessly for her family, and to lose her life like this, at the hands of her own child, is unimaginable,” said a neighbour.

A case under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (culpable homicide) and Sections 25, 27, and 54 of the Arms Act has been registered, and further investigation is underway. Police officials said efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest the supplier who allegedly sold the illegal firearm to the teenager. “Tracing the source of the weapon is a priority, as it highlights the easy availability of illegal arms, even to young individuals,” the officer said.