The Sonepat police have arrested two miscreants, who were reportedly involved in firing and demanding Rs 2 crore in extortion, after a brief encounter near Harsana village on NH-334 B on Thursday night.
Both accused sustained bullet injuries in their legs during the exchange of fire with the police. They have been admitted to the sub-divisional civil hospital at Kharkhoda.
The accused have been identified as 21-years-old Ankit, a resident of Bhatana village who is presently living in Pragati Nagar, Sonepat, and 19-year-old Pawan, a resident of Lehrara village.
As per the available information, Deepak, a resident of Ward 1 in Kharkhoda, received a call from an unknown number on his mobile phone on Thursday at 9.25 pm. The caller posed himself as a member of the Nandu gang and demanded an extortion of Rs 2 crore, threatening to kill him.
After getting the information, the Sonepat police activated their crime units in the area. Around half an hour after the extortion call, the police received information that three motorcycle-borne youths had fired at Deepak’s office on Khanda Road in Kharkhoda. Police teams, along with an FSL team, reached the spot to inspect the crime scene.
The police recovered three blank shells from the spot and found bullet marks on the main gate and a wall of the office.
Members of the Special Unit of Anti-Gangster (SUAG) subsequently got a clue about the suspected assailants and started chasing them on a motorcycle. When the youths saw the police team on NH-334 B near Harsana village, they opened fire at the police team.
The police retaliated, during which both miscreants sustained bullet injuries in their legs. The police subsequently arrested the accused and admitted them to the sub-divisional civil hospital, Kharkhoda.
Three country-made pistols and a motorcycle have been recovered from their possession, Rajpal, ACP, Crime, said.
Two separate cases have been registered against the accused. One has been registered at the Sadar police station for firing at the police team, and another has been registered at the Kharkhoda police station in connection with the extortion demand and firing at Deepak’s office, the ACP added.
Prima facie, both the incidents, including extortion demand and the firing at Deepak’s office, seemed to be connected, the ACP said.
A probe is under way to identify others allegedly involved int he crime, ascertain the source of the weapons and establish the motive behind the incidents, besides examining all other possible angles, the ACP said.
