Gurugram, Jan 24 (IANS): A crime branch team of the Gurugram Police arrested five dreaded criminals after an encounter from Golf Course Extension Road on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, officials said.

The accused were in the city to commit theft, police said on Friday.

According to the police, they received information regarding four to five youths coming towards Golf Course Extension Road with illegal weapons, riding in a CNG auto-rickshaw to commit a crime.

Based on the information, a police team blocked the Golf Course Extension Road from Village Ghata to Faridabad Road. After some time, an auto rickshaw without a number plate was seen coming towards the police checkpoint. When the police team signalled the CNG auto rickshaw driver to stop the vehicle, the driver tried to escape by increasing the speed of the auto-rickshaw hitting the barricade and police vehicle.

"Five persons got down from the auto-rickshaw and started firing at the police team and ran towards the forest. During this, one bullet hit the bulletproof jacket of the in-charge of Crime Branch Sector-39, and one bullet hit the window of the police car," Inspector Vishwa Gaurav, In-Charge of Crime Branch Sector-39, said.

The police team also warned the accused and asked them to surrender but they kept firing on the police party. In retaliatory firing, one bullet hit each of the two accused in the legs. Both the accused fell on the ground after being shot and were controlled by the police teams, and three other accused were apprehended from the auto-rickshaw.

The accused were identified as Hoshiyar Khan (22), Biladin alias Billa (22), both residents of Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), Shahrukh (23), Mohammad Naseem (23) and Salim alias Shami (22), a resident of Nuh. The police team took further action and admitted the accused, Hoshiyar Khan and Biladin alias Billa, who were injured due to bullet injuries, to the hospital for treatment.

In connection with the incident, a case was registered against the accused under the relevant sections at Police Station Sector-56, Gurugram. During the encounter, a total of eight rounds were fired, out of which four were fired by the accused and four by the police. The police team recovered the auto-rickshaw used by the accused to commit the crime, two country-made pistols, one pistol, five live cartridges and eight empty shell cartridges.

During the interrogation, the accused revealed that they had also committed one other incident of theft in Gurugram. From the perusal of the criminal records of the accused, it was found that accused Biladin has five cases registered against him in Uttar Pradesh for theft and under Uttar Pradesh Gangster Act and accused Hoshiyar Khan has four cases registered against him in Uttar Pradesh for theft and under Uttar Pradesh Gangster Act.

"The accused, Hoshiyar Khan and Biladin alias Billa are undergoing treatment. After being discharged from the hospital, the accused will be arrested as per rules in the above-mentioned cases and will be thoroughly interrogated," he said.