Kaushambi (Uttar Pradesh): Two men accused of robbing elderly women were arrested after an encounter with police in Kaushambi district early on Saturday, October 31, officials said. Both accused were shot in the legs during the operation and taken into custody.

The joint operation was carried out by the Kaushambi Kotwali police and the Special Operations Group (SOG). Deputy Superintendent of Police Arun Kumar Shukla said the arrested men have been identified as Mohammad Farooq and Naeem Akhtar, both residents of the Khakhreru area of neighbouring Fatehpur district. According to police, the two targeted elderly women in the Medraha and Bhairawan villages of the Kaushambi area, snatched their gold nose pins and fled. Police had been searching for the duo following these incidents. These are police allegations at this stage and remain to be proved in court.

Cordon, firing and arrests early on Saturday

Police said the joint team received information about the suspects early on Saturday and laid a cordon to arrest them. When the accused realised they were surrounded, they allegedly opened fire on the team, and police retaliated. Both suspects were wounded in the legs and arrested at the scene, and the injured accused were admitted to the district hospital for treatment.

Police recovered two illegal country-made pistols, cartridges, two gold nose pins believed to be stolen, and a motorcycle without a number plate from their possession. The DSP said more than half a dozen criminal cases are registered against the two accused. Police are gathering details of their criminal history, interrogating them to trace any wider network, and checking whether they were involved in similar robberies in Kaushambi and neighbouring districts. What happens next will turn on the interrogation findings and the charges police file.

Source: IANS via HiIndia