Ghaziabad: Two snatchers were arrested by the Ghaziabad police in two separate gunfights on Friday. Both accused had multiple robbery and snatching cases registered against them. The incidents occurred in Indirapuram and Shalimar Garden areas, where the suspects opened fire on police officers before being apprehended.
First Arrest: Jabir Alias Javed Hasan
In the first case, 25-year-old Jabir alias Javed Hasan, a resident of Sambhal, was arrested after a gunfight in Indirapuram. According to Abhishek Srivastava, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) of Kavi Nagar, teams from Trans Hindon and Indirapuram police stations were conducting routine checks at Sector 1, Vasundhara T-Point on Thursday night.
Around 1 am on Friday, a person arriving on a motorcycle was signalled to stop for checking. However, he failed to comply and instead attempted to speed past towards the Sector 2A ground. Cops promptly chased him, and in a bid to escape, Jabir lost his balance, causing his motorcycle to skid on the slippery, rain-soaked road. Upon seeing himself surrounded by police, he fired his country-made pistol at the cops with the intent to kill.
Officers narrowly missed the bullet and, in self-defence, fired back at the accused, hitting his leg and causing him to fall, following which Jabir was apprehended and sent to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police seized one illegal country-made pistol, one empty cartridge, one live cartridge, and the motorcycle.
ACP Srivastava added that on April 22, Jabir, along with an associate, snatched a chain from a man’s neck in Vasundhara in the morning, using the same motorcycle. “His associate sold the chain somewhere in Meerut and gave the accused a share of the money, which he spent on personal indulgences. The accused stated that he came today with the intention of committing another such incident when he was apprehended,” the ACP added.
Four cases of snatching, theft, recovery of stolen goods, the NDPS Act, and the Arms Act are registered against the accused in Ghaziabad, while two cases are registered in Sambhal.
Second Arrest: Gaurav Alias Kabir
In the second case, Gaurav alias Kabir, 22, a resident of Teela Mor, was arrested while a hunt is on for his associate Papu, 23, a resident of Shalimar Garden who managed to escape. Atul Kumar Singh, ACP of Shalimar Garden, said that in the early hours of Friday, the Shalimar Garden police team was conducting checks on the road when two persons on a motorcycle from the DLF side were signalled to stop. However, they instead turned back and fled towards Prem Gali, a deserted route.
As cops chased them, they panicked, lost control of the motorcycle, and fell on the ground. While Papu succeeded in escaping, Gaurav began firing at the cops. In retaliatory firing, he sustained a bullet wound to his right leg. A Honda Shine motorcycle, one country-made pistol (tammcha) of .315 bore, along with one empty cartridge of .315 bore and one live cartridge of .315 bore, was seized from his possession. The motorcycle was stolen, and an FIR was already registered at the Shalimar Garden police station by its owner, Mukesh Gill.
“Both of them commit robbery and snatching incidents in the Shalimar Garden, Sahibabad, Link Road, and Delhi-NCR areas by changing vehicles and locations, targeting people out for morning walks. They use stolen vehicles, including scooters and motorcycles, and use illegal weapons to intimidate people and for their own protection,” the ACP said.
Both accused are currently hospitalized under police custody, and further investigations are underway to apprehend the escaped associate Papu. The police have urged citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities.
