Two extortionists hurt in shoot-out with police in Najafgarh

NEWDELHI:TWO alleged criminals who have been actively extorting from traders were injured in a shootout with police in outer Delhi’s Najafgarh in early Wednesday, police said.

While 36-year-old Surjeet was hit in his arm, his associate Parmod was shot in his leg, Sanjeev Kumar Yadav, deputy commissioner of police (special cell), said.

Their third associate, 24-yearold Nishant, escaped unhurt and surrendered.

The duo was rushed to a hospital in outer Delhi’s Jafarpur Kalan where they are recuperating from their injuries, the officer said. Three guns and 10 bullets were allegedly recovered.

DCP Yadav said a total of five rounds were exchanged in the encounter during which an inspector was hit in his chest but his bullet-proof vest saved him.

DCP Yadav said Surjeet, leader of the trio, is a close associate of alleged gangster Sandeep alias Dheelu who had escaped from police custody in February last year when his associates attacked a police team while he was being taken to Maulana Azad Medical College for treatment.

Surjeet, who allegedly led the rescue operation, was arrested for the crime but released on bail. “After his release, he and Dheelu had been extorting from businessmen in Delhi,” said the officer. Police said that over the past few days, they had inputs about Surjeet and his associates hiding in Delhi. On Tuesday night, the police were tipped off about Surjeet and two other men driving from Jhajjar to their Delhi hideout, via the Main Dhansa Najafgarh Road.

“We laid a trap and on spotting the car, we asked them to surrender. They fired at us and we retaliated in self-defence. Two of them were hit and injured while a police inspector was saved by his bullet-proof vest,” the DCP said. NEW DELHI: The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on Wednesday flagged off 52 auto-rickshaws with public announcement systems to disseminate messages on the prevention of mosquito-breeding in neighbourhoods.

The messages would be in Hindi and the autos would be helpful in reaching far-flung areas, unauthorised areas such as Sangam Vihar, slums like Rangpuri, and villages in Mehrauli and Badarpur, SDMC officers said.

An anti-malaria staff of the corporation will travel in the auto and distribute handbills to people.

Vector-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria and chikungunya have seen a spurt in the last one week in Delhi due to the rains.

A weekly report prepared by SDMC on behalf of the entire city says 304 cases of malaria were reported this year till September 23, 217 cases of dengue and 74 cases of chikungunya. In comparison, 256 cases of malaria, 343 cases of dengue and 68 cases of chikungunya were registered till September 23 in 2018.

SDMC standing committee chairman Bhupinder Gupta said, “People will be told to ensure there is no mosquitobreeding in their overhead tanks and containers such as buckets, mugs, cups, coconut shells, etc. The anti-malaria staff will inform them that no trash should be amassed on roofs and premises.”

South mayor Sunita Kangra, said, “There is no treatment for dengue and chikungunya and so we must bring in a behavioural change in ourselves. The autos were flagged off from Civic Centre, the municipal headquarters, and travel to all 104 wards under us.”

The autos will move around till October 31, which marks the end of the ‘peak’ mosquito-breeding season in Delhi.