With mom,daughters brave armed man

While they were walking towards their home,two motorcycle-borne youths drove past them,snatching Shivkumari’s gold chain.

“One of the youth’s hit me on my neck and suddenly I realised that my chain was missing. While we ran after the bikers,Arti raised an alarm,” said Shivkumari.

As people chased the motorcycle,the driver panicked. The motorcycle skidded and both the men fell,she added. But one of them managed to escape,said Arti.

While Shivkumari and Arti were trying to keep the other youth — later identified as Rajendra Kumar from Azamgarh — pinned to the ground,he whipped out a country-made pistol and fired,missing them both. He then hit Arti with the pistol butt.

Meanwhile,Pooja joined her mother and sister.

Hearing the commotion,Ravi Shanker,a neighbour,came out of his house and saw three women struggling with the man carrying a pistol. “To prevent him from firing again,I caught the man’s hand,but he hit me on the head with the pistol butt,” said Shankar.

In the scuffle,Kumar’s pistol fell off. Soon a few locals came to the rescue and overpowered him. Later,the police arrived and arrested Kumar.

“I could chase them because I am still active,” said Shivkumari,who practices yoga daily to keep fit. “I do not know how I fought the youth. But when he snatched my mother’s chain,I decided not to let him go,” said Pooja.

Superintendent of Police (East) Harish Kumar said,“The miscreant has been sent to jail. A search is on for his accomplice.”