New Delhi, Mar 18 (IANS): A woman fashion designer was injured and nearly run over by moving vehicles after she fell off a running auto-rickshaw while fighting two bike-borne snatchers in east Delhi, the Police said on Monday.

The incident occurred on Friday when two bike-borne snatchers attempted to grab the hand bag of Asha Mehra (33). She was commuting in an auto-rickshaw at Geeta Colony.

Mehra tied up the belt of the bag and did not loose the grip when snatchers tried to rob her. During the incident, the auto driver did not slow down the vehicle until she tumbled out of it. After this, the snatchers escaped to avoid being caught.

There was a mini pile up of three-four cars that applied sudden brakes to avoid hitting her. Mehra was lucky to survive despite falling off in the middle of road.

"Three-four cars right behind me crashed into each others as they applied sudden brakes to avoid running over me. I suffered fracture at my right hand and some bruises on limbs and abdomen," Mehra said.

"I had hired the auto-rickshaw from ITO around 12 noon. When it drove down Geeta Colony flyover, I noticed the accused on a white bike driving very close to the auto-rickshaw. They did not wear helmets," she said.

Mehra, a resident of Gol Market in central Delhi, works as a designer at a private firm in Gandhi Nagar and used to commute regularly by auto-rickshaw.

"We have identified the accused with the help of CCTV footage and booked them for attempt to robbery. A manhunt is on to nab them," Deputy Commissioner of Police Meghna Yadav said.