Teen took on thieves as she couldn't lose phone her dad worked hard for

Screengrabs | Twitter/HGS Dhaliwal

Kusum Kumari, 15, from Jalandhar, Punjab is being hailed as a hero after she fought off two bike-borne men who tried to snatch her phone on her way back from tuition.

In a video that has now gone viral, Kusum can be seen grabbing the biker by his T-shirt and pulled him off the bike. What followed was a raging scuffle between the attacker and Kusum. Since then, Kusum is being praised for her bravery.

During the confrontation, the snatcher attacked her with a sharp weapon and she was injured but Kusum said she wasn't afraid because she knows Taekwondo.

"I didn't realise it then, it was only later that I got aware of the bruises... Kabhi darna nahin chahiye, main yeh maanti hoon. Aise viral hongi pata nahin tha (I feel one should never feel scared in such a scenario. I'll become viral like this, I didn't expect)," she told Hindustan Times from the hospital.

When asked why she risked her life for a smartphone, she said, "The smartphone didn't come easy. My father toiled hard to purchase it after schools were shut and classes went online due to the pandemic. It's priceless."

Kusum's father, who is a daily-wage labourer is proud of her bravery and that in turn, makes her proud. "My father works as labourer, and mummy works as a house help. Mummy was worried for me when she got to know about what happened, but later she was okay. And my father said, ‘Brave hai tu' and said he's proud of me... I didn't know that I could inspire so many people with just one incident. I want to thank everyone for supporting me."

Kusum's name is also being suggested for national and state level bravery awards. As a gesture of encouragement, DC Ghanshyam Thori has announced a cash award of Rs 51,000, and as per Hindutam Times, the administration is also planning to unveil a mascot in her name under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign, in Jalandhar, to inspire other girls.

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