E-Paper
Four, including two police officials, injured during a shoot-out near Bhondsi
Five suspected carjackers and a police team allegedly exchanged fire near Bhondsi on Monday, leaving two police officials and two of the suspects injured. Their
Five suspected carjackers and a police team allegedly exchanged fire near Bhondsi on Monday, leaving two police officials and two of the suspects injured. Their arrest, which followed an hour-long chase, has solved more than four dozen cases in the district, claimed the police.
The gang was involved in 20 recent cases of car robberies reported from various places in Gurugram, such as Iffco Chowk, Sohna Road, Golf Course Extension Road, Kherki Daula, Manesar, Hero Honda Chowk and Shankar Chowk. “This gang used to come from Hanumangarh and target victims on the expressway and service lanes. They have robbed more than 100 cars at gunpoint and have looted more than ₹50 lakh,” said Preet Pal Sangwan, assistant commissioner of police (crime).
During primary investigation, it was revealed that the gang was also involved in several cases of murder, attempt to murder, snatching and robbery in Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
According to the police, during the chase, the two suspects suffered gunshot wounds on their legs, while two police officials were injured in their arms. They were all admitted to Gururgam’s Civil Hospital.
As per the police, one of their crime teams received a tip-off on Sunday that the carjackers in a Scorpio were planning to rob commuters on Sohna Road after crossing Badshahpur.
Around 1am, a team of police officials from crime unit 39, was on patrol duty, when they saw a black Scorpio car moving towards Sohna from Vatika Chowk. There were allegedly five men in the SUV. The police said they tried to stop them but seeing a police vehicle, they accelerated.
Sangwan said that the police team chased them and tried to intercept the SUV but they started speeding up. “After the vehicle crossed a temple in Bhondsi, the criminals started firing on the police vehicle, following which the police tried to fire back at their tyres,” he said
The police teams, meanwhile, informed the control room, which alerted the teams deployed at the check points at Bhondsi and Sohna.
Sangwan said when the police team signalled the driver to stop, the occupants started firing at them. “They used narrow lanes to flee towards Rithoj village but the teams chased them. After a while, the SUV hit a stone as the rear left tyre got busted after the police team fired at them,” he said. When cornered, the suspects allegedly tried to run away on foot while shooting at the police.
The police said the suspects fired 50 rounds, while the police fired 30 rounds in retaliation. The police managed to nab two of the criminals. However, the remaining three managed to flee the spot taking advantage of the dark.
During the firing, two police officers, exempted assistant sub-inspector Kapil and head constable Sandeep, received bullet injuries on their arms. They were immediately rushed to the Civil Hospital, where they were administered first aid.
The suspects were identified as Sandeep Singh (24) of Hanumangarh in Rajasthan, and Sunil alias Sonu (29) of Dadri in Haryana
Sangwan said two countrymade pistols with six live cartridges were recovered from them and so was the stolen car. The three other suspects have also been identified and raids are being conducted to nab them.
In the last three months, this is the fourth such alleged encounter that ended with the arrests of the suspects.
On November 3, six people, including four policemen, were severely injured in retaliatory firing by a group of suspected criminals in Nuh’s Punhana during a raid to arrest a 30-year-old man, who was accused in several cases of ATM theft, robbery, cattle smuggling and carjacking.
Earlier, on October 10, the police had arrested two alleged criminals in Manesar after an exchange of fire out of which one died undergoing treatment. Two countrymade pistols, 20 live cartridges, a backpack and a Swift car were allegedly recovered from the possession of the criminals.
