Palwal: A criminal carrying a reward of ₹5,000 and wanted in multiple cases was arrested following an exchange of fire with the CIA team of Palwal Police in the early hours of Friday. The accused allegedly fired at the police team and was shot in the leg in retaliatory action.
Arrest and Encounter Details
The accused, identified as Balram alias Babli, a resident of the Dighot area, was apprehended with an illegal country-made pistol after the encounter on the Dighot-Pingaur road near the Pingaur drain.
Addressing a press conference, DSP (Sadar) Manoj Verma said the operation was carried out by the CIA Staff Palwal team under the supervision of Inspector Ravinder Kumar following a tip-off about the accused's movements.
Police Operation
According to police, Inspector Ravinder Kumar received secret information in the early morning that Balram, who has several criminal cases registered against him, was moving around near the Pingaur drain with an illegal weapon and was allegedly planning to commit a serious crime.
Acting on the information, the CIA team formed a raiding party and reached the area in two government vehicles. Police said the team laid a trap and cordoned off the area without switching on the vehicles' lights. When Balram spotted the police presence, he allegedly attempted to flee towards nearby fields.
Police said officers repeatedly asked him to stop and surrender. Instead, the accused allegedly pulled out an illegal country-made pistol and fired two rounds at Inspector Ravinder Kumar with the intention of killing him.
The inspector narrowly escaped the firing, a police officer said.
Retaliatory Action
Officials said the police team again warned the accused to surrender and also fired warning shots in the air. However, when he allegedly continued to pose a threat and again pointed the weapon towards the police party, the officers decided to take retaliatory action.
According to police, Inspector Ravinder Kumar fired controlled shots aimed at the accused's legs in self-defence and to bring him under control.
One bullet struck Balram in his right leg, after which police overpowered and arrested him.
The injured accused was immediately shifted under police custody to the government hospital in Palwal for treatment.
Recovery of Weapon
Police said they recovered the country-made pistol allegedly used by the accused during the encounter.
Two empty cartridge shells were also recovered from the spot and seized as evidence.
Legal Proceedings
A fresh case has been registered against Balram at Sadar Palwal police station under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to attempt to murder and obstruction of government duty, along with provisions of the Arms Act.
Investigators are also examining whether the weapon recovered from the accused was used in any previous criminal incidents.
Criminal Background
Police records show that Balram has been involved in criminal activities since 2013.
He is facing six criminal cases registered at Sadar Palwal police station, including cases involving serious offences such as murderous assault.
A reward of ₹5,000 had been announced for information leading to his arrest.
Police Campaign Against Crime
Highlighting the district police's recent anti-crime drive, DSP Manoj Verma said that under the leadership of Superintendent of Police Nitish Agrawal, Palwal Police has intensified its campaign against criminals and anti-social elements.
According to police data, in the last nearly 75 days, Palwal Police has arrested 14 reward-carrying criminals and apprehended five accused involved in serious offences through separate police encounters, preventing the execution of several planned crimes.
Speaking on the latest arrest, SP Nitish Agrawal said maintaining law and order and ensuring a sense of security among residents remains the police's highest priority.
The bravery and alertness displayed by the CIA Staff Palwal team in extremely adverse circumstances is commendable. The police team carried out disciplined action entirely within legal limits, Agrawal said.
