Duo who robbed people of jewellery & phones arrested

New Delhi: Two men allegedly involved in a string of robbery cases were injured during an exchange of fire with police in West Delhi's Punjabi Bagh on Thursday. The duo, including a Nepal national, attempted to attack cops who were trying to apprehend them, prompting them to fire shots in self-defence.Several police stations in the West district had received reports of robbery and snatching incidents of late. DCP (West) Vichitra Veer said that multiple teams were deployed to apprehend the culprits. Spotters were strategically placed at various vulnerable locations and likely escape routes. Additionally, police officers in plainclothes were asked to patrol on motorcycles, tasked with following, stopping and inspecting any suspicious motorbike riders in the area.Around 8 am on Thursday, cops spotted the suspects' bike in Punjabi Bagh and gave chase. When the duo refused to stop, police intercepted them on Nala Road, Khyala. As the suspects pulled out firearms and attempted to fire, police responded in self-defence and a total of four rounds were fired by two cops, which left them injured.Police identified the robbers as Vikas Arya (33), a native of Rajasthan, and Ramesh (35), a native of Nepal. Both of them were presently residing in east Delhi's Shakurpur.Their modus operandi included them primarily targeting women and elderly men walking alone near parks and bus stands. The perpetrators used force or threatened the targets with a dagger to steal their gold jewellery and mobile phones. In some instances, such as incidents in Moti Nagar and Tilak Nagar, the victims suffered injuries, including women who had their earrings violently removed, police said.The majority of these crimes occurred during the early morning hours and late at night.The two injured suspects were hospitalised, and preliminary questioning revealed their involvement in past criminal cases, including 14 cases of theft and robbery at gunpoint. Police recovered two firearms, three cartridges, a dagger, a stolen bike and a scooty from their possession. Further probe is on.