New Delhi: In a dramatic late-night operation, the Delhi Police Crime Branch apprehended three alleged members of the Asad gang following a gunfight in East Delhi’s Usmanpur area. The accused, wanted in a murder case in Meerut, sustained bullet injuries in their legs during what police described as a “half encounter.”
According to officials, the Crime Branch team had received specific intelligence that the leader of the Meerut-based Asad gang was arriving in the Usmanpur area with his associates. Acting swiftly, a trap was laid near the Yamuna river belt — a relatively isolated stretch often used by criminals to evade law enforcement.
At approximately 2:00 AM, three suspects arrived on a motorcycle. When police signaled them to surrender, the accused allegedly opened fire on the team. During the exchange, a Sub-Inspector was hit by a bullet; however, he escaped unhurt due to wearing a bulletproof jacket.
Police retaliated in controlled fire, injuring all three accused in their legs before taking them into custody. Forensic teams later recovered empty cartridges from the spot, and bloodstains were visible at the site of the encounter.
Officials confirmed that the trio was wanted in connection with a murder case registered in Meerut and had been evading arrest for some time. The accused were shifted to a hospital for treatment and are now under police custody.
The operation was conducted by the Crime Branch’s Shakarpur unit based on prior intelligence inputs. Further investigation is underway to determine their broader criminal network and possible links to other cases.
Police sources stated that the Yamuna-side stretch was deliberately chosen by the accused due to low population density, but advance surveillance helped authorities intercept them before they could escape.
