Gurgaon: Two alleged drug smugglers were shot in the legs, and a police officer was injured during an exchange of fire between a Crime Branch Sector 65 team and three armed men near Sector 62 on Friday night. Police arrested all three men after the encounter and recovered 136 grams of MDMA, a pistol, a country-made firearm and an empty cartridge case from them besides a bike with no number plate.“The encounter took place around 11.45pm on Friday, after police received information that three armed men were planning a robbery. A team set up a checkpoint on the route from Nangli Umarpur towards Sector 62 and signalled a motorcycle carrying three men to stop. The suspects allegedly tried to flee and opened fire at the police team,” Sandeep Turan, police spokesperson, said.A team led by SI Arun, in charge of the Sector 65 crime unit, chased them in their vehicles and cornered them. The suspects fired six rounds, one of which hit a police vehicle and another struck Head Constable Naresh in the arm, according to police. The team fired three rounds in self-defence, hitting two of the suspects in the legs. All three men were apprehended and the injured were taken to hospital for treatment.The arrested men were identified as Marfat alias Maru (32) and Phool Babu Sheikh (26), both residents of Bali in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, and Shrikul Sheikh (37), a resident of Mira Plassey in Nadia district, West Bengal. Phool Babu and Marfat suffered one bullet injury each.Police said Phool Babu Sheikh was wanted in an earlier case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and a reward of Rs 2,000 had been announced for his arrest.“The gang is involved in transporting contraband from West Bengal to Gurgaon in buses or trains in small quantities. This time they had planned to rob someone of his/her car and use the vehicle to transport big consignment from their native state but were nabbed by the cops. While Shrikul is not aware of the source of weapons, we will interrogate the other two accused after they would be discharged to know about the weapons and their nexus,” a police officer said.Police said Marfat has four previous cases registered against him involving assault, theft, possession of counterfeit currency and offences under the NDPS Act. Phool Babu Sheikh has two previous NDPS cases, while Shrikul Sheikh has one.A case has been registered at Sector 65 police station against the three men for allegedly obstructing police personnel, firing at the team with intent to kill and possessing illegal narcotics. Police said the injured suspects would be arrested after being discharged from hospital. Further investigation is under way.A case has been registered at Sector 65 police station against the three men for allegedly obstructing police personnel, firing at the team with intent to kill and possessing illegal narcotics. Police said the injured suspects would be arrested after being discharged from hospital. Further investigation is underway.
