A Muslim woman allegedly shot in the throat by her brother survived after the bullet struck a metal locket that she was wearing round her neck.

The incident happened when Mohammad Nayeem reportedly hatched a plan to kill his sister Shabnam and armed himself with a gun to avenge the family's honour after she decided to marry for love.

In doing so she rejected her family's wish for an arranged marriage, causing what they felt was damage to their honour that could only be cured by her death.

Shabnam survived after the bullet struck a metal locket that she was wearing round her neck

However, in a bizarre twist, the bullet that was fired at the woman in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, struck the gold-coloured locket that she was wearing.

According to police, after going to the mosque to pray, the brother had then taken the gun and shot her at point-blank range.

The incident has highlighted the serious problem with families who refuse to accept love marriages and consistently harass and even kill those who refuse to go along with arranged marriages.

Medics who treated the young woman said that had the locket not stopped the bullet, she would very likely not have survived.

Police however said they have not yet acted as they are waiting for a complaint to be registered by the injured woman, who although not seriously injured, is still being treated in hospital.