Gurgaon: A 30-year-old history-sheeter, wanted in multiple theft and arms cases, was injured in a police encounter during an alleged robbery attempt in the Sohna area late on Wednesday. The accused, who was on a motorcycle, opened fire at a police team during a chase and was shot in the leg in retaliatory action, a police officer said. The accused, Rashid, is under treatment at a local hospital. A case was registered at City Bhondsi police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for attempted murder, firing at police personnel and obstruction of government duty. The officer said Rashid will be formally arrested in the case after he is discharged from hospital. The investigation into the case is ongoing.The incident took place when a team from Sohna’s Crime Branch, led by sub-inspector Vinay Kumar, set up a blockade near Raipur Naka after receiving inputs about Rashid.A police spokesperson said Rashid, a native of Rajasthan’s Deeg district, was riding a numberless motorcycle and was armed. When the team tried to stop the suspect during the blockade, he attempted to flee towards the Sohna-Alwar Road at high speed. During the chase, the motorcycle skidded near the Old Sohna-Alwar Road, close to the Raipur Naka cremation ground. The accused then abandoned the bike, attempted to escape on foot, and fired two rounds at the police team with the intention to kill.“1 bullet hit the bumper of the government vehicle, while another passed dangerously close to sub-inspector Vinay. Despite warnings and a shot fired in the air by police, the accused continued to flee, following which the police team fired in self-defence. The retaliatory bullet hit the accused in the left leg, causing him to fall, after which he was overpowered,” the spokesperson said.A forensic and crime scene inspection was carried out at the spot by fingerprint experts, the FSL team, the scene-of-crime unit, and other police teams. A total of four rounds were fired during the encounter — two by the accused and two by the police.From the spot, police recovered a motorcycle, one pistol and four shell cartridges.Preliminary verification of records revealed that the accused is involved in around 10 criminal cases related to theft and the Arms Act registered across Nuh, Gurgaon and Faridabad districts.“Under the guidance of Gurgaon commissioner of police, public safety remains our top priority and there is a zero-tolerance approach towards criminals who threaten law and order or attack police personnel,” the spokesperson said.
