Two arrested after encounter at north-east Delhi

NEW DELHI: Two men were arrested after a brief exchange of fire between them and police in northeast Delhi’s Jyoti Nagar in the early hours of Saturday, officials said. The arrested were identified as Shakti alias Sonu (36) and Sachin (24), they said. Four rounds were fired including two by police in retaliation, the officials added.

Police said Shakti has been named as an accused in 18 criminal cases, while Sachin has four cases pending against him. According to police, on Friday, two back-to-back armed robberies took place within a short span of time in the wee hours.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) Sanjay Kumar Sain said that information was received that some people were in the area and used a modus operandi reported in the robbery cases. Around 2 am, a team spotted two persons on a motorcycle, which did not have a number plate. The team was on duty on a service street near the Loni roundabout on the Wazirabad road.

“Seeing the police team, the rider hurriedly made a sharp U-turn in a bid to escape. The motorcycle skidded and the two persons fell on the road. The police team blocked their path. Finding themselves holed-up, the pillion rider fired two shots on the team and one of the bullets hit its vehicle,” Sain said.

Shakti, who suffered a bullet injury to his leg, is also wanted in a case registered under Indian Penal Code section 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) at the Jyoti Nagar police station, he said. Police have seized a semi-automatic pistol, a country-made pistol, three bullets and two empty cartridges. The motorcycle has been impounded, the officer said. An FIR has been lodged under adequate sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Jyoti Nagar police station and further investigation is still underway.