Delhi Catholic school attacker held

Two months after a principal of a Catholic school in Sangam Vihar of New Delhi was shot at by two assailants, the south district police have claimed to have solved the case with the arrest of one of the assailants.

On May 15, Father George Phillip, principal of St. Vincent Pallotti School, sustained serious injuries when two unidentified assailants entered into his office, on the pretext of admitting some students, and suddenly brandished a gun, threatening to shoot him unless he handed over his valuables to them.

Fr. Phillip was shot at the chest when he attempted to prevent them from robbing him.

However, before the principal collapsed, he managed to raise an alarm but the assailants managed to flee the scene with his mobile phone.

The police, which launched a manhunt, finally managed to nab one of the suspects, July 7.

The accused, Rajbir, was arrested from Batra Hospital on Saturday, where he had gone to see his ailing wife.

"Police officers had shown the victim, Father George Phillip, dossier of previous offenders. He identified Rajbir as one of the assailants," DCP south, Anil Shukla, told a regional daily.

"Rajbir is listed as a bad character in Sangam Vihar Police Station and has been named in several crime cases. Soon after the incident, he left Sangam Vihar," Shukla said.

According to police officials, Rajbir, during interrogation, confessed that he, along with his associate Bhola, tried to commit robbery at the office of St. Vincent Palotti School.

"They had information that there was a lot of cash in the school office under Father Phillip's possession," the police said. "On May 15, Rajbir and Bhola went to the school and threatened Father Phillip at gunpoint to hand over all the money. However, Father Phillip resisted and caught hold of one of them. The dog of the church caught the foot of the assailant. On seeing the resistance, the other accused fired at the Father from his pistol. Father Phillip escaped the first shot but the second bullet hit him on him chest, after which the assailants escaped."