Man who assaulted Delhi Police head constable arrested after encounter

New Delhi, Jun 3 (PTI) A 24-year-old man accused of assaulting a head constable with a knife was arrested in south east Delhi's Jaitpur area following an exchange of fire, an official said on Tuesday.

Asif was arrested on June 2 after he opened fire at a police team attempting to apprehend him near the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.

He sustained a gunshot injury to his leg in retaliatory fire and was taken to AIIMS for treatment.

"The incident traces back to May 27 when Head Constables Karan and Pawan were patrolling JD Musafir Marg, and they noticed two men on a motorcycle acting suspiciously. On being approached, one of the men fled while the other, who was intercepted by HC Karan, attacked him with a knife and managed to escape," Deputy Commissioner of Police (south-east) Ravi Kumar Singh said.

The motorcycle was found to be stolen in a separate case. Subsequently, a case was registered and an investigation was launched.

"During the investigation, CCTV footage helped identify the suspects as Raja and Asif. On May 30, Raja was arrested, and during questioning, he revealed the involvement of his associate Asif," the officer said.

A tip-off received on June 2 led the police team to set up a trap on the service road of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.

Asif, riding a stolen motorcycle, attempted to flee and fired three rounds from his pistol at the police team, the DCP said.

"In self-defence, the police fired in retaliation, hitting Asif in the right leg. He was overpowered and taken into custody. The motorcycle he was riding was also found to be stolen in connection with an e-FIR lodged at Lajpat Nagar police station," the officer added.

A fresh FIR was registered at the Jaitpur police station in this regard.

The police claimed that Asif, a resident of Tanki Road in Jaitpur, is a habitual offender and a drug addict who has been previously involved in at least nine criminal cases, including robbery, snatching and auto theft.

He was last arrested in November 2023 and had been released on bail on May 14.

Asif is currently wanted in three separate cases, including one of attempted murder and two motor vehicle thefts, the police said.

Further investigation is ongoing to determine his involvement in additional crimes, the DCP added. PTI SSJ MPL MPL