Gurugram: 2 wanted men held after encounter

The police early Wednesday morning arrested two men, allegedly wanted for several heinous crimes in Haryana and neighbouring states, following an encounter at Ghata crossing on Gurugram-Faridabad Road

The police early Wednesday morning arrested two men, allegedly wanted for several heinous crimes in Haryana and neighbouring states, following an encounter at Ghata crossing on Gurugram-Faridabad Road.

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Their arrests, which happened after an hour-long chase and shoot-out, have helped solved more than two dozen crimes in the district, police said.

Police said the two suspects and one policeman suffered gunshot wounds and all of them were admitted to Delhi’s Safdarjung hospital, where they are stable. Two more policemen were injured when the suspects rammed their motorbike into the barricades set up by police. The officer in charge of the crime investigation unit narrowly escaped as two bullets fired by the suspects were stopped by his bulletproof jacket, police said.

The suspects have been identified as Manish Kumar Jakhar (30), of village Salawas in Jhajjar, and Prashant alias Jonty (24), of Bahadurgarh in Jhajjar. Police said a reward of ₹1 lakh each was announced on their arrest by Gurugram police recently.

Preet Pal Sangwan, assistant commissioner of police (crime), said the suspects allegedly murdered a 38-year-old man, Sandeep, a paying-guest (PG) facility owner, in Ishlampur village of Sector 38 on May 4 and were on the run since then.

“They were wanted men for the past two years and kept shifting their residence to evade the police. They were living in the PG facility owned by Sandeep, who hailed from Sampla village in Rohtak. Sandeep, too, used to live in the PG and became friends with both suspects this March,” Sangwan said.

He said when Sandeep asked them to pay two months’ rent, it led to an altercation between them and the two men assaulted Sandeep. Later, the duo shot him dead.

Rajkumar, the officer in charge of CIA 39, said the police received a tip-off about the two men and the team spotted them on Gurugram-Faridabad Road, and gave chase. “We were warned that they will be armed, so the personnel were well equipped and kitted out in bulletproof jackets,” he said.

Police also set up barricades and checkpoints and the focus was on motorcycle riders. Sangwan said one of the teams, led by inspector Rajkumar, went to patrol Gurugram-Faridabad Road. They were moving towards Gwal Pahari T-point when they spotted a motorbike without a number plate. “The attire of the two riders matched the information given by the informer. As soon as they turned towards Golf Course Extension Road, near Ghata crossing , the team informed the police control room and shared the location to set up more barricades,” he said.

Police said the team asked the suspects to stop but they sped away after ramming through the barricades, injuring constables Sanjay Kumar and Manoj Kumar. Sangwan said the team immediately blocked the road a little ahead of them and trapped the duo. They then opened fire at the police team.

The duo fired a few rounds at the police and two shots hit the bulletproof jacket worn by inspector Rajkumar, while one hit constable Akash in the arm. Police returned the fire, and hit the two suspects in their legs,” said Sangwan.

The police team nabbed both suspects. Police recovered one pistol, one countrymade pistol two live cartridges and the motorbike from their possession. A case under sections 186 (voluntarily obstructs public servant in discharge of duty), (voluntarily causing hurt), 353 (assault on public servant), 307 (attempt to murder), 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and sections of Arms act was registered at Sector 56 police station on Wednesday.