2 passers-by injured while chasing chain-snatchers

Two passers-by suffered bullet injuries as a chain snatcher duo fired at policemen who first chased them on a motorcycle and then on foot for over a km before managing to nab one of them.

The incident took place at east Delhi’s Jagatpuri on Monday morning. 

The police said that with the rise in cases of chain snatchings, they had placed additional pickets to nab such elements. 

Two constables, Arvind and Shyam were keeping watch at one of the pickets when they noticed a Pulsar motorcycle approaching from the Anand Vihar side.

The rider and pillion both had their helmets on and as soon as they noticed the police, they sped past the picket even after being ordered to stop. Arvind and Shyam immediately started a chase on another motorcycle.

“After 500 metres of chase, they were forced to apply brake on noticing a large vehicle ahead at Balmiki Chowk. But we chose to hit them with our motorcycle instead of stopping,” constable Shyam told Deccan Herald.

The two motorcycles and their riders fell as the impact of the crash. Sensing that they would be captured, one of the accused pulled out a pistol and warned the policemen to keep away. “But we did not move. They fired thrice before running away from the spot,” said Shyam.

One bullet each hit two passersby on their thigh and hand. They have been admitted to a hospital for treatment. 

The two policemen also suffered minor injuries as a result of the fall.

Meanwhile, the two constables too tried to fire at the accused but missed the target. “Somehow my pistol failed to load, but Arvind fired one shot,” said Shyam.

Immediately after firing, the two accused separated and ran in different directions. “We had to let go off Sahil and instead focused on Dhananjay. After chasing him for over one km, we caught him when he was trying to jump over a wall near a bus stand,” constable Arvind told Deccan Herald.

The arrested person Dhananjay is alleged to be involved in 28 cases of robberies and snatchings. The police said he operated with three other associates. 

While two of them would target the victims on one motorcycle, the other two would follow closely behind to provide assistance if caught by public or the police.

One country-made pistol, two cartridges and a motorcycle, stolen earlier, were recovered from them.