Man wanted in 2012 murder of Delhi cop arrested after encounter in Gurugram’s Nuh
Delhi Police’s special cell and Nuh police carried out a joint operation that continued till the early hours of Tuesday in Tauru
A 30-year-old wanted criminal — who was allegedly involved in the murder of a Delhi Police head constable, Yashpal Singh, at Najafgarh in southwest Delhi on August 24, 2012 — was arrested after an exchange of fire with the police in Tauru early on Tuesday morning, officers aware of the matter said, adding that the suspect was injured in the encounter.
The suspect, who has now been found involved in at least three cases of attack on police parties, was last arrested in 2013 by the Delhi Police’s crime branch following a brief gun fight. After staying in jail for two years, the criminal secured a regular bail. He never attended the court proceedings and other legal formalities thereafter, and remained at large for the last nine years, they added.
Delhi Police’s special cell and Nuh police carried out a joint operation that continued till the early hours of Tuesday in Tauru. A total of eight rounds were exchanged – four fired by the suspect and the other four by the raiding party. Of the four bullets fired by the police team, two hit the legs of the suspect, identified as Mohammad Shakir, a resident of Tauru’s Shikarpur village. One semi-automatic .32 bore pistol, four live cartridges and a stolen bike were recovered from his possession, said deputy commissioner of police (special cell) Pratiksha Godara.
Superintendent of police Narender Baijarniya said that a team of the special cell — led by inspectors Shiv Kumar and Satish Rana and inspector of Nuh crime unit Amit Kumar — were deployed in Tauru following a tip-off. “The teams received information that Shakir will reach Tauru to meet his close aide and to commit some criminal activity. The teams had set up barricades in Tauru,” he added.
Bijarniya said that around 3 am, the teams saw a motorcyclist coming from the Bilaspur side. “The bike had no registration plate. When the teams signalled the biker to stop, he fled to a hill in Tauru. The teams then chased him. Finding himself surrounded by police personnel, Shakir opened fire at them with an illegal weapon. Four bullets were fired by the team members in self-defence. Two of them hit Shakir’s legs, after which he was overpowered,” he said.
Sharing details of the 11-year-old case of the murder of Delhi Police head constable Yashpal Singh, a senior special cell officer said that the policeman was posted at Mehrauli police station and was returning home on his motorcycle when he was murdered on August 24, 2012.
“Shakir and his accomplices, who were members of a Mewati gang, were stealing stray cattle and were loading them in a mini truck from Jharoda village, when the head constable stopped and challenged them saying he was a policeman. The criminals caught hold of him and shot him at point-black range, killing him on the spot. They fled the spot leaving Singh bleeding. They were identified through CCTV cameras installed near an ATM booth,” the officer said.
Nearly a year later, Shakir was arrested following a gun battle with the crime branch team in Vasant Kunj area in south Delhi. At that time, police had announced a reward of ₹50,000 in exchange for any information on him. He was released on bail in 2015 and thereafter he never joined the court proceedings. A non-bailable warrant (NBW) was issued against him and the proceedings to declare him a proclaimed offender (PO) was in progress.
“After coming out of jail in 2015, Shakir committed at least seven crimes, including murder and attempt to murder in Tauru area. He was also involved in a case of indiscriminate firing and attack on the house of former MLA Shahida Khan of Nuh district in Haryana,” said a special cell official who did not want to be named.
Police said Shakir was involved in eight cases in Haryana and four cases in Delhi that involved several charges, including murder, attempt to murder, robbery, dacoity, Arms Act violations and NDPS Act.
A case under sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public function), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 25-27 of the Arms Act was registered at the Sadar Tauru police station in connection with Tuesday’s shootout, said police.