New Delhi: When a 25-member Delhi Police team reached Mathura to nab Mohammed Inam on Thursday, it had little idea about the virtual battleground that awaited it. There were residents—almost 500—from two villages to join the goons, armed with AK-47s, carbines, lathis and stones; all ready to attack and chase the policemen away. But the massive shootout that ensued made history of sorts with around 1,000 rounds exchanged between the army of villagers and police.TOI had on Friday reported that the special cell team fired 500 rounds in the operation. And if the count of bullets fired by the villagers, too, is considered, the number stands at 1,000.“Inspector Shiv Kumar’s team received a tip-off that Inam was hiding in his maternal uncle’s house at Hathiya village in Mewat region. The teams raided the village around 4pm. We were informed that the target and five of his associates were heading to Rajasthan in the Tata Sumo SUV to commit a dacoity. We cornered them and asked them to surrender but they fired on the team forcing it to retaliate in self-defence,” DCP, special cell, Pramod Kushwah said in a statement.“Two semi-automatic 9MM pistols along with 19 live cartridges and one stolen Tata Sumo were seized,” Kushwah added.However, the operation was a close shave for the Delhi policemen as the villagers headed by Mewati goons far outnumbered the team—25 against 500. As soon as they apprehended Inam, villagers gathered and surrounded the team.They cornered and assaulted the policemen with lathis and pelted stones. While many officers sustained injuries and some were hit by bullets on their bullet-proof jackets, the villagers of the two nearby villages also joined the goons. It was then SHO, Barsana, immediately flashed a message to control room, Mathura, and sought re-enforcement.For what seemed like an impossible task, the team, with the help of 25 local policemen soon swelled to 50. And as the tension reached flashpoint, there started a massive shelling. Soon the villagers exhausted their bullets and backed off, with the police returning with their target, Inam who carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head.Inam was a key member of the Mewati gang who had abducted a Gujarati businessman in February and demanded Rs 1 crore ransom for his release. The victim was rescued later by the crime branch, and eight members of the gang were arrested. However, Inam, who was absconding, was being trailed by the special cell.