New Delhi, Apr 14 (IANS): A notorious criminal, who even tried to fire upon a police team, was apprehended after a brief scuffle on the Mehrauli-Badarpur road in Delhi, said a Crime Branch official on Sunday.

Police said that the accused identified as Suraj Gulia aka Ullu (28), a resident of Jhajjar district in Haryana, was wanted/involved in nine sensational cases of gunpoint carjackings and robberies in Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Rakesh Paweriya said that they received specific information that Gulia would come on the road near the Cremation ground, Lado Sarai, link road to MG Road to MB Road, on April 11.

“A team set a trap near the anticipated location of his arrival. Around 4 p.m., he was observed approaching on a Pulsar motorcycle from MB Road, identified promptly by a confidential informant,” said the DCP.

Intercepted by the Crime Branch team, Gulia attempted to flee in the opposite direction, abandoning his motorcycle where a police team member was stationed.

“In the ensuing struggle, he attempted to overpower the officer, brandishing a homemade pistol with intent to fire. However, additional team members swiftly arrived, successfully subduing him along with the loaded pistol and two live cartridges,” said the DCP.

The DCP revealed that following his release from jail in 2015, Gulia joined the gang of Somveer in his village, perpetrating a wave of carjackings that terrorised areas of Delhi, Haryana, and Rajasthan.

“The gang would forcibly abduct drivers at gunpoint, later abandoning them after plundering their possessions and vehicles,” said the DCP.

After his arrest by the Delhi Police in 2015, Gulia spent approximately four years in various jails.

“Upon release, he resumed his criminal activities, participating in an armed robbery at a currency exchange shop in Dulina, Jhajjar, in 2020. Despite subsequent arrest, he secured bail after two to three months,” said the DCP.

Subsequently, Gulia went into hiding, evading capture and working various jobs in Gujarat ports, where phone usage was restricted, thwarting investigative efforts.

“After several years, he returned to Pataudi (Haryana), assuming the role of a tractor driver at a trading firm to conceal his identity,” said the DCP.

“Gulia has been declared a Proclaimed Offender by courts in Delhi and Rajasthan for his involvement in three high-profile cases of gunpoint carjackings, with convictions in two cases,” the DCP added.