Law enforcement authorities in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad district have apprehended two men wanted in connection with a rape case following an armed encounter late at night. The confrontation took place within the jurisdiction of the Vijay Nagar police station along the Pusta Road near the Hindon Barrage. Both suspects sustained bullet injuries to their legs during the exchange of fire and were subsequently taken into custody before being shifted to the District MMG Hospital for urgent medical care. Police recovered two illegal country-made pistols, two live cartridges, two mobile handsets, and an unregistered motorcycle from their possession.
Interception on Hindon Barrage Pusta Road
The arrest operation stems from a rape complaint registered on October 17, following which dedicated police teams were formed at the police station level to track down the absconding culprits. Investigators had been conducting targeted raids across several possible hideouts while monitoring local intelligence channels. A breakthrough arrived when informants tipped off the police regarding the movement of the two wanted individuals traveling together on an unmarked two-wheeler along the embankment road near Hindon Barrage.
Acting on this precise intelligence, police personnel set up rigorous vehicle checks along the designated stretch late in the night. When officers spotted two men approaching on a motorcycle lacking a registration number plate, they signaled the riders to halt for verification. Instead of complying, the suspects accelerated in a bid to escape and discharged firearms toward the pursuing personnel. The police team returned fire in self-defense, striking both men in their legs and bringing the chase to an immediate halt before securing the scene.
Identity of the Apprehended Suspects
Following their capture, emergency medical protocols were initiated, and both wounded men were transferred under heavy guard to District MMG Hospital for treatment. Police records identified the first suspect as Pradeep, son of Shriram, residing at Vrindavan Society in Siddharth Vihar under the Vijay Nagar police jurisdiction in Ghaziabad.
The second suspect was identified as Mustakeen, son of Mohd. Faiz Ali, who resides in Street Number 8 of Chaman Colony, Islamnagar, situated behind the Old Bus Stand under the Kotwali Nagar police station limits in Ghaziabad. Both individuals had been evading arrest since the formal filing of the case on October 17, frequently shifting locations across the National Capital Region to avoid detection.
Stringent Crackdown on Heinous Crimes
This armed confrontation follows a similar encounter executed by Ghaziabad police just days earlier against high-profile criminal elements. In that previous operation, officers intercepted a notorious vehicle lifter carrying a bounty of Rs 50,000 who was implicated in more than 100 criminal cases across various jurisdictions.
During that earlier vehicle checking drive, suspects traveling inside a white Fortuner SUV ignored police signals to pull over and opened fire on law enforcement personnel. In the retaliatory firing that ensued, the driver of the SUV was shot in both legs and taken into custody, while his accomplice managed to slip away into nearby darkness. Police officials maintain that intensive patrols, rapid response mechanisms, and unyielding measures against violent offenders and those committing crimes against women remain in active enforcement across the district.
