2 criminals arrested after separate encounters with police in Ghaziabad; head constable injured

Two criminals carrying rewards on their arrest have been nabbed after separate encounters with police here, in which both of them and a constable sustained bullet wounds, police said on Saturday.

A gunfight broke out in the Kavi Nagar police station area on Saturday when two bike-borne suspects opened fire at police on being signalled to stop near the Double Overhead Water Tanks, Senior Superintendent of Police Sudhir Kumar Singh said.

Head Constable Pankaj sustained a bullet shot injury, following which the police party returned fire, officials said.

One of the suspects, identified Dharmendra, alias Tindi, was injured in the police fire and arrested, while the other managed to flee, they said.

Dharmendra, a native of Bharatpur in Rajasthan, was wanted in a dacoity and a dozen other criminal cases. He was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000 on his arrest, police said.

Another encounter took place around 9 pm on Friday in the Loni police station area, they said.

Two people on a scooty opened fire on a police party on being asked to stop for checking and fled the spot, the officials said.

Police gave the duo a chase and fired in retaliation, injuring one of the miscreants who was arrested. He was identified as Vakeel, alias Tuiyan, a resident of Karawal Nagar in Delhi, they said, adding that he was carrying a reward of Rs 25,000.

Vakeel was wanted in a number of criminal cases lodged in various police stations in the National Capital Region, the police said.

Head Constable Pankaj and the two criminals were sent to nearby hospitals for treatment, the SSP said.

Two countrymade pistols and two used and four live cartridges were recovered from the arrested duo, he added.