Youth, aide nabbed after gunfight

A 24-year-old youth and his associate were arrested after a shootout in south Delhi when they were on their way to Uttar Pradesh to wipe out a family for honour, police said on Tuesday.

Feroz and Rahil, who hail from UP's Meerut district, also planned to kill Feroz’s cousin sister. Two country-made pistols of .32 bore and .315 bore have been seized with 15 cartridges. Police also claimed to have solved 10 cases of vehicle theft.

On Monday, the accused were en route to kill Abdul Samadh and his family in Meerut, police said.

“Abdul is a childhood friend of Firoz, but he had eloped with Feroz’s cousin sister,” said deputy commissioner of police (south-east) P Karunakaran.

A case of kidnapping and inducing a woman to compel her marriage was registered with Sardhana police station, and Abdul was arrested. He was, however, released on bail after a fortnight.

Due to Abdul’s actions, Feroz was feeling humiliated as it tarnished his family’s image in society. “Feroz was furious and planned to kill Abdul, his uncle Babu and others,” Karunakaran added.

Feroz and Rahil had also planned their hideout in a house at Rohtak. During sustained interrogation, the duo confessed that they also planned to kill Feroz’s cousin sister. The woman is staying at a ‘nari niketan’ (women’s shelter) in UP.

Karunakaran said Feroz and Rahil were held when a police team was working on a gang of robbers involved in motorcycle theft.  On Monday, information was received that two members of the gang will be going to Meerut via Mehrauli Badarpur Road on a stolen motorcycle.

“This information was discussed with senior officers and accordingly, a raiding party was formed,” Karunakaran said. Barricades were put up for checking Mehrauli-Badarpur Road. At 5.15 pm, Feroz and Rahil were spotted by the informer.

The team surrounded the suspects, who offered stiff resistance. “Feroz and Rahil tried to flee and in the process hit the police barricade,” Karunakaran said.

They fell from the two-wheeler and fled towards Adilabad jungle. When they were told to surrender, they fired at the police team. The team then fired in the air to deter them from shooting any more. Feroz and Rahil were overpowered and arrested thereafter.
On sustained interrogation, they admitted that the motorcycle was stolen from R K Puram.