New Delhi: A 30-year-old man, wanted for a violent clash between two rival groups during a procession, was arrested after a police encounter near Shadipur Flyover in Patel Nagar. The accused, Prakash alias Akash alias Chinu, sustained a gunshot wound to his right leg.Police said an altercation broke out on Jhandewalan Road during a Nayak Samaj procession for Baba Ramdev Ji’s birth anniversary on Sept 13 between two rival factions: the Sadar Bazaar-based Vikas Kalia group and the Nabi Karim-linked Prakash group.The altercation soon escalated into stone-pelting, assaults and firing, disrupting law and order. During the clash, Prakash and his accomplices allegedly assaulted a woman associated to the rival gang. Police subsequently registered two cases over the violence.DCP (Central) Rohit Rajbir Singh said that on Sept 28, police arrested two Vikas Kalia gang members, Mukesh and Akash, after a shootout near Paharganj’s Karnail Singh Stadium. Both sustained leg injuries, and police recovered two illegal firearms, ammunition, and a stolen motorcycle.Meanwhile, Prakash — a listed bad character of Nabi Karim police station with 15 prior cases, including murder, robbery and Arms Act violations — remained at large, with court proceedings under Section 84 of the BNSS initiated against him.“On Nov 12, police received information that Prakash would visit the area near Shadipur Flyover to meet an accomplice. A trap was laid, and around 12.45 am on Friday, he was spotted. When signalled to stop, he attempted to flee and opened fire at the police team,” police said.After a bullet narrowly missed Constable Mukul’s arm, the team fired back in self-defence, hitting Prakash in the right leg. Police overpowered him and took him to the hospital.
