Palwal: 2 from an interstate vehicle lifting gang arrested

Two gang members were arrested and two injured in a shootout with police after robbing a 65-year-old man of his car filled with valuables.

Two members of an interstate gang were arrested while two others were injured in an exchange of fire with a Crime Branch team near Katesara village along the Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal expressway in Palwal early Friday, police said.

Police identified the suspects as Rohit Kumar, Ranjeet Singh, Pushpendra Kumar and Anurag, all aged between 21 and 25 and natives of Uttar Pradesh.

Investigators said the four men allegedly fired at a 65-year-old man and drove away with his car, which was filled with jewellery, cash and other valuables near Thantri in Amarpur on Thursday afternoon. The Crime Branch launched an investigation soon after.

Police identified the suspects as Rohit Kumar, Ranjeet Singh, Pushpendra Kumar and Anurag, all aged between 21 and 25 and natives of Uttar Pradesh.

“On Friday, a Crime Branch team received information about the suspects’ presence near Katesara for another similar robbery. The team reached the spot to arrest them but the suspects opened fire while attempting to flee,” said Palwal DSP (headquarters) Anil Kumar.

According to investigators, Rohit and Ranjeet were shot in the legs during the encounter while the other two surrendered. The injured were admitted to a civil hospital in Palwal and will be arrested after doctors declare them medically fit.

DSP Kumar said that on Thursday afternoon, the suspects waylaid the 65-year-old, identified as Mool Chand, a resident of Thantri. He was in the car with his nephew and travelling towards Bagpur to attend his daughter’s engagement.

“The suspects opened fire on the duo and terrorised them. They forced Mool Chand and his nephew out of the car, looted it, and fled towards Faridabad with the car,” the DSP said.

Investigators said they were trying to recover the looted car along with the cash and other valuables with the help of Pushpendra and Anurag, who are suspected to be involved in more vehicle loot incidents in Palwal.

They added that Rohit has seven while Ranjeet has two criminal cases of loot, armed dacoity, attempt to murder, illegal arms possession and theft registered against them in various police stations in Uttar Pradesh. Two country-made pistols, two live cartridges, an equal number of empty cartridges and a mobile phone were recovered from their possession after the encounter.