A suspected robber was killed after several rounds of fire were exchanged between a four-member gang and a retired army man in Vijay Nagar, Ghaziabad.
According to police, the incident took place around 2am on Saturday when four armed men came in a car and forced open the shop of Prakash Chand, the retired army man. The shop is on the ground floor of Chand's house.
Chand took out his licenced double-barrel gun and came out with another neighbour. "When we challenged the robbers, they fired two rounds at us. I also opened fire in self-defence. One of them fell down during the crossfire," Chand said.
"In the meantime, locals gathered at the spot and the men fled," he added.
However, the police have not been able to ascertain whether the robber was killed in the crossfire. "It seems that the robber hit a pole when he tried to flee and fell. This probably led to his death," the police said.