Gurugram: Faridabad police on early Sunday arrested seven men allegedly linked to an interstate gang involved in house burglaries and robberies after an exchange of fire near Sotai village, officials said.
Police also seized a country-made pistol, two cartridges, two large knives, two iron rods allegedly used to break doors, two slingshots and 17 marbles from the suspects, investigators said, adding that they are examining whether these items were used in other crimes. They added that two suspects sustained gunshot wounds to their legs in the crossfire and were taken to a hospital for treatment. Police identified all seven as residents of Vidisha and Guna districts in Madhya Pradesh.
When the suspects arrived, police officials signalled them to stop. The Sector 16 Crime Branch team received input about a planned criminal activity near the Agra Canal bridge and a team was stationed at the spot, according to police. Police are also probing the group’s alleged role in a theft at a house in Sector 17 on the night of September 19-20. One suspect carries a ₹ 15,000 reward announced by Madhya Pradesh Police, while three members of the group have eight, two and four criminal cases registered against them, respectively, officials said.
However, the suspects tried to flee and one of them fired at the police, prompting retaliatory firing, during which two men were injured, police said. Assistant commissioner of police (crime) Aman Yadav said the seven suspects were apprehended near the Agra Canal embankment, which falls under the Sadar Ballabhgarh police station jurisdiction. Police said preliminary questioning suggests that the group travelled from Madhya Pradesh to other states to conduct reconnaissance of houses before allegedly carrying out thefts and robberies. The suspects would then return to their home state, which made it difficult for investigators to trace them, officials said. One of the suspects is suspected to have been involved in the incident, according to the police. Investigators further said that members of the group were recently involved in a theft worth crores of rupees in Guna. Police said they were verifying the suspects’ criminal records and investigating their possible links to other incidents.
