Cattle thief, cop injured in exchange of fire

A suspected cattle thief, hailing from Mewat, and a constable were injured in an exchange of fire in Dwarka here, police said today.

The police arrested two cattle thieves, including the injured one, while seven-eight of their accomplices succeeded in escaping following the shootout in the intervening night of March 30 and 31, they said.

Police were informed that cows were being loaded in a vehicle in sector 1 of Dwarka and its occupants were pelting with stones the persons trying to stop them.

The accused started pelting with stones a Police Control Room van which started chasing them.

Despite ramming into the barricades, the accused kept on driving and pelting with stones the police vehicles.

The accused opened fire on the PCR van after which the police personnel retaliated and punctured the rear tyre of the their vehicle, the police said.

Meanwhile, the other PCR vans rushed towards the vehicle in order to intercept it. The seven-eight accused left the vehicle and opened fire at the police personnel in a bid to escape.

In self-defence, police personnel fired injuring one Liyaqat Ali in his legs. Another accused, Taj Mohd, was chased and apprehended. However, rest of the accused managed to escape.

During the operation, while chasing the robbers, head constable Pawan also sustained injuries in his legs.

Bags filled with stones and six cows with their legs tied were seized from the vehicle, the police said.

During interrogation, the accused told police that they had come to Delhi from Mewat to steal animals, Deputy Commissioner of Police (PCR) Devender Arya said.

The owner of the stolen animals has been identified and will also be examined, the officer added.