Cops fired at the truck and took out the left rear tyre. Jaan Mohammad (inset) was spotted on a tree and arres... Read More

NEW DELHI: The nightly calm at Chhawla was disturbed early Saturday morning when a gunfight ensued between Mewat-based cattle smugglers and police. About 25 shots were fired overall, and the encounter ended with the arrest of two criminals. Three others, however, managed to flee.

The incident occurred at 2.30am when the police were informed about some men loading cattle by force into a pick-up truck at Dwarka Sector-1. The caller, identified as Chotu Mehto , told the police that when he asked the men what they were doing, he and his friends were pelted with stones. Mehto was injured in the head even as the men ran away with six cattle.

But Mehto gave chase in his WagonR. Meanwhile, a PCR van also joined the chase, and all nearby units as well as picket staff were alerted to stop the truck. At a dead end in Sector 19, the truck even hit a PCR van to make way.

The truck then headed towards Chhawla village and rammed barricades put up to stop it. The criminals pelted stones at policemen at those pickets. Then they reached Goyla Dairy near Chhawla and opened fired on the chasing policemen. A joint team of PCR staff and local police surrounded them.

Police fired back and took out the left rear tyre. The truck stopped and the criminals started to flee while continuing to fire. Police said about 20 rounds were fired by the criminals.

One of them, Liyaquat Khan (26) sustained bullet wounds on both legs and was captured. His associate Jaan Mohammad climbed up a nearby tree to hide, but was spotted and arrested. DCP (Dwarka) Shibesh Singh confirmed the arrests.

The duo said that they had come from Mewat and their gang leader was one Haarish Mohd who managed to flee. Haarish is involved in 10 animal theft cases.

The rescued animals were sent to a gaushala in Najafgarh .

