Ghaziabad, March 21 (IANS) Two Ghaziabad women who fought off robbers were awarded certificates of bravery by the district police Sunday, an official said.

Sunita Sharma, 34, and Rita Singh, 40, took on armed robbers single handedly and helped police in getting them arrested.

Presenting the certificates to them, Superintendent of Police (City) Avdesh Kumar Vijeta said: 'These women risked their life and fought the robbers tooth and nail.'

'Sunita Sharma was all alone at home and the situation was highly risky. But, the lady acted with courage and helped us in nabbing the armed assailant,' he added.

On Feb 8, around 11 a.m., when her husband Manoj Sharma had gone to office and her three daughters were in school, a man posing as a salesman came to her house.

'He told me that he was sent by my husband. He then asked for water. When I went inside the kitchen, he locked the main door from inside and just came in,' Sunita said.

She, however, managed to fight him off, and then shouted for help to her neighbours.

As the assailant tried to flee, he was caught by the neighbours and beaten up before being handed over to police.

The second woman, Rita Singh, a social activist and chairperson of an NGO, also fought off robbers.

On Feb 20, Rita was carrying some cash in her purse when two youths came on a motorcycle and hit the cycle-rickshaw which she was riding.

'When I looked around to see what had happened, one of the bikers snatched my purse,' Rita said.

'Immediately, I smashed his nose and slapped him several times. A scuffle took place between me and him for around five minutes before people came and nabbed him,' she said.