The auto-rickshaw was speeding and when Sharmila fell out, she suffered severe injuries.
A 38-year-old woman suffered head injuries as she fell out from a speeding auto-rickshaw while trying to save her handbag from snatchers in south Delhi's Defence Colony area.
Sharmila Rai was on her way to Connaught Place with her husband, Rakesh and his nephew Gaurav, from her home in Sanwal Nagar for shopping when three men on a motorcycle came near their auto-rickshaw around the Moolchand flyover area, police said.
One of the men, snatched the bag and while she was trying to resist his attempts, she fell out of the auto-rickshaw and injured her head, her husband said.
The snatchers fled with the bag that contained at least Rs 7,000 in new currency notes, a mobile phone, ATM cards and some other important documents, he added.
The auto-rickshaw was speeding and when Sharmila fell out, she suffered severe injuries. When Rakesh shouted, the driver stopped the auto-rickshaw and her husband and his nephew rushed to Sharmila's aid.
Sharmila was rushed to Moolchand hospital where doctors referred her to Institute of Brain and Spine (IBS) where she underwent an operation.
Currently she is recuperating, Rakesh said. Rakesh works as a chef in India International Centre while Sharmila works at a parlour in Nizamuddin area.
The area where the incident happened doesn't have CCTV cameras. Police have formed teams to trace the accused.
The faces of the accused weren't covered but the incident happened within a few seconds hence neither Rakesh nor Gaurav could note down details of their vehicles, said a senior police officer.