Man involved in over 100 crimes nabbed after shootout with cops

NEW DELHI: A 43-year-old man, involved in at least 113 cases, including those of murder, dacoity, robbery and extortion, was arrested following a brief encounter near a farmhouse in southwest Delhi’s Kapashera on Wednesday. One bullet was fired from each side, but no one was hurt in the firing, police said.

Additional commissioner of police (crime) Rajiv Ranjan said Raju Khandelwal alias Hakla, a wanted criminal fired a bullet at head constable Brij Lal in a bid to escape when his car was intercepted by the police. Lal ducked and he escaped unhurt.

“The bullet hit the wall of the farmhouse. In retaliation, constable Dharam Raj fired in the air. The other police personnel then overpowered Raju. They also snatched his countrymade pistol,” the additional CP said, adding Raju has cases against him at the Anand Parbat police station.

Deputy commissioner of police (crime) Bhisham Singh said Raju was also wanted in a case of attack on crime branch officers, which took place during a raid in Dwarka on February 2.

Police had then arrested a suspected criminal Sunny Dogra, after he fired at the police party when asked to surrender. Dogra’s interrogation revealed that the pistol he used to fire on the police personnel was supplied to him by Raju, the DCP said.

Singh said his team received information about Raju’s movements in Kapashera. On Tuesday night, the team learnt that Raju would be going towards Dwarka and would be using the Kapashera Bijwasan road that connects to Dwarka Link Road.