Kaithal police have arrested three armed persons after a brief exchange of fire after they allegedly attempted a robbery at a hotel and later snatched a scooter and cash at gunpoint in the district early Saturday morning. One accused managed to escape and a search operation is under way to arrest him.
DSP Sushil Prakash said that police received information in the wee hours of Saturday that four armed youths had attempted to loot a hotel in the Kalayat area. After fleeing the spot, the accused allegedly robbed a youth in Kaithal, snatching his scooter and cash at gunpoint.
Taking note of the incidents, Kaithal Superintendent of Police Manpreet Singh Sudan directed all crime investigation units to launch an immediate operation to trace and arrest the accused. Teams led by Inspector Sunil Kumar of the Special Detective Unit, Sub-Inspector Jaswant of CIA-1, Sub-Inspector Mukesh Kumar of the Anti-Vehicle Theft Staff and ASI Manish Kumar of CIA Kalayat were deployed in this operation.
The police teams intercepted the four suspects riding a scooter near Bhaini Majra Sugar Mill and warned them to surrender. However, the accused allegedly opened fire on the police and attempted to flee in different directions. In retaliation, the police also fired at them, after which three were apprehended, said the DSP.
ASI Manish Kumar’s team arrested Sahil, a resident of Khanda Kheri village in Jind district, who sustained bullet injuries in both legs. Inspector Sunil Kumar’s team apprehended another accused, Ashok, a resident of Meerpur in Hisar district, who suffered a bullet injury in his leg. A team led by Sub-Inspector Mukesh Kumar arrested accused Ankit, a resident of Khanda Kheri, who also suffered a bullet injury in his leg. The fourth accused escaped from the spot. “Police teams conducted an extensive search operation for several hours in Bhaini village and the Sugar Mill Colony area to search for the fourth accused,” he said, adding that the fourth accused would be arrested soon.
All three injured accused were admitted to the District Civil Hospital for treatment, he added.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had entered a hotel in Kalayat in the wee hours of Saturday. Armed with weapons, they allegedly assaulted workers present at the hotel and attempted to force open the cash counter. The hotel owner, along with staff members and customers, resisted the attackers, forcing them to flee. Thereafter, they allegedly snatched a scooter and cash at gunpoint in Balraj Nagar, Kaithal.
DSP Prakash further revealed that initial investigations indicate the accused had earlier looted Rs 40,000 from a shop in Agroha in Hisar prior to committing crime in Kaithal. The suspects are also believed to be involved in two separate loot incidents in Chandigarh around 15-20 days back, where Rs 20,000 and Rs 50,000 were allegedly looted.
“We are investigating the involvement of the accused in other criminal cases,” the DSP added.
