Two criminals gunned down five days after they shot at policemen
NEW DELHI: Two men who had allegedly shot and injured two policemen in east Delhi’s Karawal Nagar last week were gunned down in an encounter with Delhi Police’s special cell in south Delhi’s Pul Prahaldpur early Monday.
On February 12, the men had shot and injured two policemen and a property dealer in Karawal Nagar before going on to gun down an estranged associate in nearby Loni in a span of one hour, Pramod Singh Kushwah, deputy commissioner of police (special cell), said.
In Monday’s encounter at an isolated road in which at least 30 bullets were exchanged between the two groups, four policemen were hit but were saved by their bulletproof vests and body armours, Kushwah said. An investigator said both suspects were hit four-five times each.
The two suspects are Raja Pahalwan alias Qureshi and Ramesh alias Raju – both 31 years old. While Raja was earlier booked in seven cases, including four of murder, his associate Raju was allegedly involved in six cases. “Last year, Raju had killed his father. We are finding out the reason for that murder,” said Kushwah.
The encounter happened around 5.15 am on Shri Mata Anandmayee Marg, about a kilometre from the Pul Prahladpur police station. This road, connecting Pul Prahladpur and Okhla, snakes through low-lying hills and is sparse populated.
“We had a tip-off that Raja and Raju would ride a motorcycle on that route to visit Okhla Mandi to commit robbery and extortion. So we laid a trap,” said another investigator.
The 32-member police team divided themselves into small groups and positioned themselves at multiple points on a seven-kilometre stretch from Batra Hospital to Okhla Mandi. “Had they managed to escape from one team, they would be caught by another,” said the investigator.
The men were allegedly spotted riding a Bajaj Pulsar motorcycle at 5.15 am. “We signalled them to stop and surrender, but they jumped off their motorcycle which skidded and fell. Instead of surrendering, they fired at us,” said the DCP, adding the suspects fired at least 14 rounds.
A police vehicle was left with bullet holes, said the officer.
An officer who was part of the operation said six officers fired in response and hit the suspects multiple times. The police fired 16 rounds. Kushwah said his team recovered three pistols and 67 spare bullets from the dead men.
There were hardly any civilians at the spot at that time. Satish, an iron smith who lives with his family barely 200 metres from the encounter spot, said that he was woken up by sounds of multiple gunshots.
“The gunshots kept ringing for two-three minutes. When I tried to go that side to relieve myself, the police didn’t allow me. They restricted the movement of people or vehicles on that stretch,” Satish said.
On Monday afternoon, the only visible signs of the encounter were glass shards, possibly from the police vehicle that was hit by bullets, lying on the roadside.
The two injured men were taken to AIIMS trauma centre where they were declared brought dead, the DCP said.
Police said Raja and Raju’s last-known involvement was on February 12 when they allegedly barged into a property dealer’s office in Karawal Nagar to extort money. “At 8.40 pm, they shot the property dealer in his chest inside his shop. Two policemen who were in civil clothes inside the shop at that time were also shot in their abdomen and thigh when they tried to take them on,” said another investigator.
While the trio escaped lifethreatening injuries, at 9.20 pm, the duo crossed the Delhi-up border to enter Loni where they allegedly pulled their estranged associate, Salman, from his house and gunned him down. “They killed Salman because they suspected him of conniving with a rival gang,” said the investigator.