At least four alleged gangsters were killed and four others, including three police personnel, were injured in a fierce exchange of fire with the police in Gurugram’s upscale Sushant Lok Block A area in Sector 28 late Thursday, officials said.
Police said five armed men allegedly linked to the Deepak Nandal gang had arrived in a black Scorpio to open fire on the house of a businessman in an attempt to terrorise him over an extortion demand running into several crores of rupees.
DCP (Crime) Hitesh Yadav said the police control room received information from a local resident at around 9.20pm about the suspicious movement of a vehicle carrying armed men, following which Crime Branch teams were immediately dispatched.
“Three teams reached the spot by 9.30pm when the shooters were about to retreat after opening fire indiscriminately at least 30 rounds on the targeted house,” he said.
Yadav said the suspects opened fire after finding their escape route blocked by a police vehicle.
“Realising that their escape route was blocked by a police vehicle, the suspects suddenly opened fire from their moving Scorpio. The Crime Branch teams retaliated in self-defence and a heavy exchange of fire took place, which lasted hardly a minute,” he said.
“All five shooters inside the Scorpio sustained multiple bullet injuries that resulted in the death of four of them. Three police personnel sustained bullet injuries in the abdomen, leg and shoulder,” he said, adding that 25 to 30 rounds were exchanged during the encounter.
Investigators said all five alleged shooters, along with the injured police personnel, were rushed to a private hospital in Sector 38. Four of the suspects were declared dead on arrival, while the fifth was undergoing treatment.
According to investigators, three of the alleged gangsters were from Rohtak, one was from Tohana in Fatehabad district and the fifth belonged to the Mewat region.
Yadav said preliminary investigation indicated that the shooters were members of the Deepak Nandal gang, which is suspected to be operating from abroad, and that their motive was to terrorise the businessman for extortion.
Police have registered a case of attempt to murder against the alleged gangsters, including Deepak Nandal, at the DLF police station in Sector 29 in connection with the encounter.
