12 people were booked for allegedly attacking a team of Meghalaya Police personnel and attempting to free an accused from custody late Tuesday night, police said.
The incident occurred in the Pinangwan police station area, where police personnel opened fire in self-defence during the clash, injuring a local man.
The injured man, identified as Tarif Khan, a resident of Shikarawa village, sustained a bullet injury in his leg and has been admitted to PGI Rohtak, where his condition is reported to be stable.
Addressing media persons, Nuh additional superintendent of police (ASP) Ayush Yadav said the case was registered based on a complaint filed by sub-inspector Arkidalang Wahlang of Meghalaya Police, who is posted in East Khasi Hills district.
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According to the complaint, the Meghalaya Police team was escorting Rahul Khan, son of Mohammad Rafiq and a resident of Wajidpur village in Pinangwan, who had been arrested in connection with an ATM robbery case. The accused was being taken to Meghalaya on transit remand when the incident took place on Tuesday evening near HR-93 Donga Hotel close to Shikarawa village.
Police said that while being transported, Rahul allegedly insisted that the vehicle be stopped and suddenly grabbed the steering wheel in an attempt to overturn the car and escape from custody. During this time, a crowd of around 20–30 people, including some women, gathered at the spot.
According to police, the crowd surrounded the vehicle, tried to snatch the keys and even attempted to take away the weapons of the police personnel. As the situation escalated, the police opened fire in self-defence to disperse the crowd and prevent the accused from escaping.
During the firing, Tarif Khan was hit in the leg. Police said the firing was aimed at dispersing the mob.
Based on the complaint, police have named 12 people for allegedly attacking the police team and obstructing government duty.
Pinangwan police reached the spot after receiving information about the incident. During the investigation, officers recovered two empty cartridges, blood samples and blood-stained clothing from the scene. Teams from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) also inspected the site and collected evidence.
Police said Rahul Khan is also wanted in multiple ATM theft cases, including a first information report (FIR) in 2020 at Dwarka police station, Dabri police station, and registered by the Special Cell in Meghalaya in 2021. Investigators said he is also suspected to have carried out similar ATM-cutting incidents in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Nuh police said separate teams have been formed to arrest the remaining accused involved in the attack on the police team. Further investigation into the case is underway.