11 'gangsters' arrested in Sonipat after exchange of fire

The Haryana police arrested 11 alleged gangsters after a brief exchange of fire in Bahalgarh area near here and recovered ten illegal weapons and Rs 10.23 lakh cash from them, an official said Thursday.

The police official also seized 82 live cartridges from them, the official said, adding the police had earlier announced a reward of Rs 50,000 each for the arrest of five of them.

All the eleven arrested persons together faced about three dozen cases of murder, attempt to murder, loot and kidnapping for ransom, the police said.

They said the nabbed "criminal" were identified as as Krishan alias Gatha, Pawan alias Pona, Nitu alias Sita, Dinesh alias Pahalwan, Mahipal alias Malha, Ravinder alias Bori, Amit alias Mota, Pramod alias Pammi, Sunil Punia, Ravinder alias Golu and Pawan.

The police had raided the gangsters' hideout on a tip off and ordered them to surrender, but they opened fire on the police team, in which a policeman was injured.

The police too fired back injuring two of the "gangsters", they said, adding all the three injured persons were admitted to a nearby hospital, they said.