2 cops, 2 criminals injured in Rohini encounter; 5 held

Two days after a constable was shot dead by three miscreants, trying to escape after snatching a woman’s chain in Outer Delhi’s Shahabad Dairy area, there has been yet another attack on men in uniform.

Two police constables and two criminals were injured in an encounter in Outer Delhi’s Rohini Sector-24 area on Sunday morning. The police have arrested five members of a gang, including Sudhir and Vijay, who were injured in the encounter, said a senior police officer.

The incident took place around 9.15 am and lasted for about half-an-hour. SHO Sultanpuri, who is looking after the work of SHO Begampur, received a call that five men, coming from Begumpur in a white Swift car and black Pulsar motorbike, were planning to rob a property dealer in Rohini. 

The police said two teams, each consisting of 11 policemen, were formed and  deployed on roads, which the suspects were supposed to pass. Around 9.15 am, a police team noticed a white Swift car and a black Pulsar motorbike following it. Four persons were sitting in the car, while only person was on the motorbike.

As the gang left the Ring Road and entered a service road in Sector 24, police cars intercepted them. 

“When the police indicated them to spot, they accelerated and one of them opened fire at them. The miscreants, seated in the car, started reversing,  during which it hit another car. When they tried to speed past, the car got stuck in traffic, while they kept firing at the police team. A the bullet hit Constable Pradeep in the right thigh,” said Vikramjeet Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer). Constable Arvind got injured in a scuffle with the miscreants, he added.

He added the car driver, Sudhir, tried to dodge the police and exchange of firing ensued. A bullet hit constable Pradeep’s thigh while a bullet fired by policemen grazed Sudhir’s neck and tore the cheek of his accomplice Vijay, said the officer.

“Constable Pradip sustained a bullet injury in the thigh, while two criminals Sudhir and Vijay were also injured in the incident,” he said, adding that the injured were admitted to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital.

Three other policemen also received minor injuries in the incident, he added.

The other arrested accused were identified as Farman, Sanjay and Rahul, police said. According to the police, the accused have confessed that they were planning to rob one Mahender, a resident of Rohini Sector-24.

The police have recovered two pistols and live cartridges from the gang members, who were wanted in several cases, including bank and van robberies. The police also recovered a sophisticated 7.65mm pistol and live cartridges from the accused.

They said Vijay and Sudhir, both aged 35, and 28-year-old Sanjay were dreaded criminals and involved in various criminal cases, including attempt to murder, robbery and dacoity.

While there were 12 cases registered against Vijay, Sudhir and Sanjay were involved in seven and five cases, respectively. The trio were also involved in separate MCOCA cases, police said.

A case under Sections of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at the Begumpur police station. Meanwhile, the injured are undergoing treatment at a hospital, police said.