Patna, July 20: A 21-year-old college girl in Begusarai was shot at by three men who tried to pull her out of a moving public bus after she resisted their advances, the brazen attack yet another example of the deterioration of law and order and the lack of fear of the law among the people.

The incident occurred near Nalti village along National Highway 28 under Phulwaria police station in Begusarai district, around 120km northeast of Patna.

One of the bullets fired by her attackers pierced her chest. The girl has been admitted to a private hospital. Her condition is said to be stable.

Police, who have recorded the girl’s statement, are sceptical that the three men wanted to molest her. Instead, they believe the motive for the attack was to snatch the gold jewellery the girl was wearing.

“The girl has been making confusing statements. She seems confused about the mode of public transport in which she was travelling. First she said she was in a pick-up van and then she said she was in a bus. According to her statement, a man was standing behind her in the bus and he tried to snatch her earrings. The girl asked the man to stop but astonishingly, she never raised an alarm. Then, she said, she suddenly got down from the bus, which is also strange. She said two more men came from behind and shot at her when she resisted their efforts. An FIR has been lodged and the police are looking into the matter,” Begusarai superintendent of police Harpreet Kaur told The Telegraph.

Police sources said the girl was in the bus and was standing next to the front door. She boarded the bus from the Har Har Mahadev Chowk located in Begusarai town.

“A man suddenly stopped the vehicle while it was passing through Nalti village. As soon as the bus conductor opened the door, the girl was pulled out of the bus. It is strange that the driver of the bus didn’t stop and just drove along after the girl was pulled out. After this, two more criminals came from behind and one of them shot at the girl and then fled. Two earrings, two gold rings and one gold chain have been looted from the girl. A local pedestrian, who was on a motorbike, witnessed the attack and tried to stop the criminals. He too was shot at by the trio but the bullet fortunately didn’t hit him,” the sources said.

The SP added that a love affair angle could not be ruled out. “The initial probe suggests a love angle. However, the police are investigating the case from all possible angles. Those involved in the incident will be identified soon and arrested,” Kaur said.