International women's powelifting player attacked in Mathura

AGRA: International powerlifting player, Asma Khan Alvi, recipient of bronze medal in the 2008 Asian Powerlifting Championship, was allegedly attacked and injured by a stalker in Mathura district on Thursday evening.

In a complaint filed with the police, Asma has alleged that the suspect, Lala Namber alias Munna (40), who resides in her locality, Farah, had been stalking and making indecent comments at her for the last few days. On Thursday afternoon when Asma was walking towards Parkham Chowk to board a bus to Agra, the suspect again made a pass at her.

Asma has alleged that when she objected and confronted the suspect, he turned abusive and attacked her with an iron rod, causing a fracture in her right hand. Talking to TOI Asma, who is admitted LR Hospital for an Orthopaedic surgery, said Munna had been following her for the last few days and passing comments at her.

She said she had initially ignored it but on the fateful day she decided to confront him. “When I asked him to behave himself, he turned abusive and charged at me with an iron rod. He hit me on my hand and I fell”, she said adding that the suspect subsequently fled the spot.

Asma’s father, Mustaq who is a labourer, said they had filed a police complaint the same day but till Saturday morning no case had been registered. He said the suspect runs a wielding shop in Farah and had been stalking his daughter for the last several days. However, he said Asma had not informed him about these incidents, till the suspect attacked her.

He said “We took Asma to district hospital immediately but the X-ray could not be conducted as the machine there was non-functional”. He said they subsequently took her to a another hospital, Swaran Jayanti, where they put her in a temporary cast and advised an operation.

Asma was operated upon at LR Hospital on Saturday. According to Orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Rakesh Kumar, Asma had suffered a fracture and dislocation for which a surgery was needed. He said it would take nearly two months for Asma to use her hand again.

When contacted police officials said they had registered a FIR, u/s 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of the IPC, against the suspect on Friday and launched a hunt for him.

Besides winning a bronze medal in 2008 Asian Powerlifting Championship in Uzbekistan, Asma was awarded the title of “strong woman of India” in the National Powerlifting Championship, held in Tamil Nadu in January this year. She had also won a Gold medal in Himachal Pradesh Federation cup in 63 Kg category in March this year.