An interstate gang leader was injured and caught, while three of his accomplices were arrested following a gunfight with police on Maroli Road in Palwal on Friday night, police said on Saturday.
Police constable Devender Kumar also sustained a gunshot wound to his leg during the exchange of fire, officials said. Both Kumar and the injured gang leader were admitted to the Civil Hospital in Palwal. Police said the gang leader will be formally arrested once doctors declare him medically fit.
One gang member managed to flee during the operation, police said, adding that all the suspects hail from Etawah, Uttar Pradesh.
Police seized a 12-bore firearm, a .315 bore country-made weapon, a pistol, 11 live cartridges, 12 spent cartridges and a Maruti Baleno from the suspects.
According to police, the gang leader has 25 criminal cases registered against him in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, including cases of robbery, dacoity, kidnapping, attempted murder and charges under the Gangster Act. Two of the three arrested suspects have six or more criminal cases of a heinous nature registered against them in Uttar Pradesh, police added.
DSP (Headquarters) Sahil Dhillon said the arrests followed a tip-off received by the Hathin anti-vehicle theft (AVT) team regarding the movement of the suspects from Etawah to Palwal in a Maruti Baleno.
“The team laid a trap to intercept the car on the KMP expressway, but the suspects managed to escape toward Hodal. The raiding team chased the suspects’ car for several kilometres and intercepted it near the Mundkati Chowk. Then constable Kumar got out of his vehicle and tried to forcibly open the Baleno’s door to pull the suspects out. However, one of the suspects opened fire at the constable, leaving him injured,” Dhillon said.
“The suspects then sped away towards Maroli Road and police teams continued chasing them. They intercepted the suspects again when the Baleno’s tyre exploded,” he said.
Investigators said members of the raiding team then got out of their vehicles to apprehend the suspects. However, the suspects allegedly opened fire at the police and damaged a police vehicle. In retaliatory firing, police personnel injured the gang leader, who investigators said had fired at constable Kumar, and apprehended four suspects.
Police said the suspects had planned to meet their associates in Palwal and carry out criminal activities.
