Noida: Ola rider who fled with customer's belongings held after gunfight with cops

The 34-year-old accused, identified as Pramod Singh, was shot in the leg during the gunfight with the cops on a service lane between metro stations of Sector 51 and Sector 76 near Spectrum Mall late Thursday night, officials said.

Noida: An Ola bike taxi rider was held following a gunfight with the police here a day after he allegedly fled with a woman's bag containing an iPhone and laptop among other valuables, officials said on Friday.

The 34-year-old accused, identified as Pramod Singh, was shot in the leg during the gunfight with the cops on a service lane between metro stations of Sector 51 and Sector 76 near Spectrum Mall late Thursday night, they said.

In her complaint, Adheera Saxena, who lives in a high-rise society in Noida Extension, alleged that the incident took place near the Sector 52 metro station when she got off the bike taxi and was in the middle of completing the payment of the trip on Wednesday evening.

"Two days ago, a woman had booked an Ola bike to come to a location in the Sector 49 police station area but the bike rider had snatched and fled with her belongings," Additional DCP Manish Mishra said.

The stolen items included a brown leather ladies' bag, purse, cards (debit, metro card, ATM card, PAN card, Aadhaar card), one Dell laptop, and iPhone among other things, police said.

"Late Thursday night, the police got a tip-off about the bike's presence near Spectrum Mall in Sector 50," Mishra said.

"When the bike rider was intercepted, he did not stop for inquiry but instead sped away and opened gunfire on the police. They opened retaliatory fire in which the accused suffered an injury and was taken into custody," Mishra said.

The accused was then taken to a hospital and preliminary proof revealed that Singh, who lives in the Mamura area here, has around half a dozen criminal cases against his name, the officer said.

"The Ola bike found from with him is also a stolen vehicle," Additional DCP Mishra said.

A police spokesperson said an FIR was lodged under Indian Penal Code section 392 (robbery).

Cab aggregator Ola could not be immediately contacted for its response.

The police said they had recovered the woman's belongings along with a country-made pistol along with some ammunition was also seized from the accused.

Further legal proceedings in the case are underway, police said.