The police chased the thieves in their PCR vans, arrested one while others escaped (representational)
A suspected cattle thief, hailing from Mewat, and a constable were injured in an exchange of fire in Dwarka, New Delhi, police said on Saturday.
The police arrested two cattle thieves, including the injured one, while seven-eight of their accomplices succeeded in escaping following the shootout in the intervening night of March 30 and 31, they said.
Police were informed that cows were being loaded onto a vehicle in Dwarka's Sector 1 and its occupants were throwing stones at anyone trying to stop them.
The accused started hurling stones at a Police Control Room van, or PCR van which were chasing them.
Despite crashing into the barricades, the accused kept on driving and throwing stones at the police vehicles.
The accused opened fire on the PCR van after which the police personnel retaliated and punctured the rear tyre of the their vehicle, the police said.
Meanwhile, other PCR vans rushed towards the vehicle in order to intercept it. Nearly eight other accused left the vehicle and opened fire at the police personnel in an attempt to escape.
Police personnel, in self defence, fired at them injuring one Liyaqat Ali in his legs. Another accused, Taj Mohd, was chased and apprehended. However, the rest of them managed to escape.
During the operation, while chasing the robbers, a head constable sustained injuries to his legs.
Bags filled with stones and six cows with their legs tied were seized from the vehicle, the police said.
During the interrogation, the accused told police that they had come to Delhi from Mewat to steal animals, Deputy Commissioner of Police (PCR) Devender Arya said.
The owner of the stolen animals has been identified and will also be examined, the officer added.