Gurgaon: Seven members of an interstate gang — all from Madhya Pradesh — were arrested after an encounter with Faridabad police in the wee hours on Sunday. The accused, hailing from Vidisha and Guna districts, included Satbir, Sukhlal, Pratap, Betal, Dhan Singh, Devdhar and Harveer.Two of them, Satbir and Pratap, sustained bullet injuries in their legs in the encounter that took place near the Agra canal embankment in Ballabhgarh. Police said the gang, which was was involved in robbery, theft and other crimes, operated across state borders. Its members travelled from MP to other states to conduct reconnaissance of houses before committing crimes, then returned to their home state to evade arrest. Investigators have also found indications of the gang’s involvement in a recent theft worth crores of rupees in Guna.Those injured were taken to BK Hospital. Police recovered a country-made pistol, two cartridges, two large knives, two iron rods, two slingshots and 17 marbles. ACP Aman Yadav said the crime branch from Sector 16, led by sub-inspector Mahendra Singh, acted on a tip-off that the gangsters were present near Sotai village and were plotting another crime. When police asked the suspects to stop, the latter tried to flee and opened fire.After two suspects escaped, police called in additional teams and conducted a search operation for about an hour before apprehending the remaining accused. Police said formal arrest procedures had been completed for five accused, while the two injured men remained in hospital.Yadav said Satbir was wanted in a theft case registered at Sector 17 police station in Faridabad. The theft took place on the night of Sept 19-20, police said. “The accused have been involved in several criminal cases. Pratap is wanted in Guna district, where MP Police had announced a reward of Rs 15,000 for his arrest. His associates are also wanted in cases there,” Yadav said.
