4 involved in factory burglary held after shoot-out in Noida

NOIDA: Four people allegedly involved in the theft of raw materials and finished goods from a leather garment factory in Noida’s Sector 9 were arrested after exchanging crossfire with police in Sector 8 on Thursday night.

The suspects were identified as Ram Khiladi (50), a resident of Firozabad; Shakir (36), a resident of Bulandshahr; Kuldeep Kumar (30), a resident of Karawal Nagar in Delhi; and Aslam (28), a resident of Khoda Colony in Ghaziabad.

Kumar Ranvijay Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police, Noida, said on the night of September 5, the suspects burgled a leather garment factory in Sector 9.

Thakur Singh, the factory’s administrative executive, filed a complaint at Sector 20 police station. “The workers had left the factory at night. We reached the office in the morning and found the lock damaged. Finished leather products and raw materials were stolen from the factory,” said Thakur in his complaint.

Kumar said on Thursday night, police received information about the movement of some suspects in a Maruti Suzuki Baleno in Noida’s Sector 8. “The police team put up a barricade and asked the suspects to stop for checking. The suspects opened fire at the police team and tried to flee. When police returned fire, Khiladi and Shakir were injured on the leg and later arrested,” said the officer adding that the two other suspects were also apprehended.

During interrogation, Khiladi said that he previously worked as a security guard in the same leather factory for a few days and later quit the job.

“Khiladi engaged a few more men and committed the burglary at the factory,” said Kumar.

Police recovered two countrymade guns, four live cartridges, 23 leather sheets, and one car from their possession. Police are trying to recover the stolen valuables, some of which have been sold by the suspects. The four men were produced in court and sent to judicial custody.