Shocked residents in Ramnagar in Amethi stood motionless as a young woman, clad in jeans and T-shirt, fired indiscriminately at a local jeweller while two young men gave her cover.
The jeweller, Devi Prasad Soni, 40, slumped into a pool of blood and died on the spot after being hit by the bullet. Amethi has been agog since the incident took place about their 'first lady daku'.
The young woman, later identified as Poonam Agrahari, was arrested from the scene of crime while her accomplices managed to escape. The crowd gave her a sound thrashing before handing her over to the police.
Poonam has received injuries on her face, hands and stomach. According to SP Amethi,Ravi Shankar Chavi, Poonam and her accomplices had called the jeweller on his mobile and had said that they wanted to buy gold and silver jewellery from him for a wedding.
The jeweller reached his shop Jyoti Abhushan Bhandar in the morning and shortly after, Poonam and her accomplices came on a motorbike.
Even before the jeweller could open his shop, Poonam opened fire and snatched the bag full or ornaments from him.
The local shopkeepers, on hearing the gunshots, chased Poonam and her accomplices
and managed to pin her down.
“In an attempt to escape, she even fired at the crowd but we dragged her off the motorbike. Two persons, Vinod Halwai and Ram Bachan Singh,received pellet injuries in the firing. Later, a 315 bore country-made pistol was recovered from her possession,” said an eyewitness.
“Dacoits, and that too lady dacoits, are now a part of folklore but we are thrilled to find one amongst us,” said Raj Kishore, a local student.
According to sources, Poonma was born in the tiny Surapur village of Gauriganj tehsil.