Four cops chasing man on run for 22 years attacked

Four policemen, including an inspector, were injured on Tuesday when they went to Jaiwant village of Punhana in Nuh to arrest a 40-year-old man--accused in a host of cases and on the run for 22 years--as family members and relatives of the suspect pelted stones and opened fire at the police team

Four policemen, including an inspector, were injured on Tuesday when they went to Jaiwant village of Punhana in Nuh to arrest a 40-year-old man--accused in a host of cases and on the run for 22 years--as family members and relatives of the suspect pelted stones and opened fire at the police team.

Four cops chasing man on run for 22 years attacked

Shamsher Singh, deputy superintendent of police, Punhana, said the suspect, identified as Jamshed Zamil, is an accused in several cases of ATM theft, robbery, cattle smuggling, dacoity, robbery and carjacking and was booked under sections 395 (dacoity) and 511(punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonments) of the IPC at Punhana police station on March 16, 2000. He was declared a proclaimed offender in 2001.

“Since then, he has been at large and has been involved in dozens of cases registered against him in different states. Our teams were keeping a tab on his movement. On Sunday, we received a tip-off that he would be visit the village, following which we dispatched our teams,” said Singh.

The police teams surrounded Zamil’s house and before they could arrest him, he raised an alarm, following which family members, neighbours and relatives living nearby gathered at the spot and started pelting stones.

Singh said the police teams were caught by surprise as they did not expect to face resistance. “The family members fired gunshots from illegal arms at the police team to provide safe passage to Zamil so that he could flee the spot,” he said. The police teams had a narrow escape though bullets hit their vehicles.

While more than 10 policemen suffered minor injuries, four police vehicles were damaged, said police.

Police said Zamil fled the spot by taking advantage of the dark and the support of his family members. The police registered a case against more than 20 people, of whom 10 have been named including Zamil, under sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant), 427 (Mischief causing damage) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC at Punhana police station.

Police said the suspects were produced before a court on Wednesday, which remanded them in judicial custody for 14 days.