Four criminals, including three Prince Teotia gang members, held after two encounters

New Delhi: Delhi Police arrested four suspects, including three alleged shooters of the Prince Teotia gang, in two encounters in south and north-east districts between Friday night and early Saturday. Three of the accused suffered leg injuries in retaliatory firing by police.

In the first operation, a south district team apprehended three gang members after an encounter in Pushp Vihar. The accused — Rakesh, Sonu and Bharat Jatav — were intercepted around 12.20 am on a stolen motorcycle without a number plate.

When asked to stop, the trio allegedly opened fire at the police team. Police retaliated, injuring Rakesh and Sonu in the legs before overpowering the three.

Rakesh, a Dakshinpuri resident with 11 previous criminal cases, had been on the run after allegedly carrying out an extortion-related firing on June 1 outside a businessman’s house in Lado Sarai under Saket police station limits.

Police said they recovered two semi-automatic pistols — including weapons used in the Saket incident — along with seven live cartridges, six empty shells and three mobile phones.

In a separate encounter in north-east Delhi, a team from Welcome police station arrested Rihan, an absconding murder suspect, after a shootout at Jheel Park. Acting on a tip-off around 11 pm on Friday, police cornered him.

Rihan allegedly fired three rounds while trying to escape. A member of the police team fired back, hitting him in the right leg and stopping his escape.

Police said Rihan has six previous cases of robbery and theft against him. He allegedly confessed to the murder, citing a dispute with the victim’s brother.

A semi-automatic pistol, ammunition and a mobile phone were recovered from him. All injured suspects were taken to hospital, and fresh cases have been registered for firing at police.