Two 'thak-thak' gang members held in Noida after gunfight with cops

Two Delhi-based members of the notorious 'thak-thak' gang were arrested here after a gunfight with Noida Police at a checkpoint here in the early hours of Monday, 11 March officials said.

One of the accused suffered injuries in the retaliatory firing, they added.

The duo were allegedly behind the 9 March incident when window panes of five cars were found broken and valuables stolen from them near Amrapali Zodiac society in Sector 120 under Sector 113 Police Station limits, the officials said.

"In the early hours today, an encounter took place between the Sector 113 police station team and members of the inter-state 'thak-thak' gang," Additional DCP (Noida) Manish Mishra said.

"Our team was on checking duty when the two criminals were seen coming towards them. When gestured to stop for enquiry, the duo opened fire on the police team," Mishra said.

One of the criminals -- Aman (28), a resident of Madangir area in Delhi -- got injured in the retaliatory firing, the DCP said, adding that the other accused has been identified as Abhishek (28), also from the same area.

"Both are members of the inter-state 'thak-thak' gang," the officer said.

The DCP said the police have recovered from the duo two stolen laptops, a motorcycle that was stolen from Delhi and a country-made pistol.

"Two days ago, the accused had decamped with valuables from parked cars in Noida after breaking their window panes. This case has been unveiled now," he said.

"They have previously committed crimes in Ghaziabad's Indirapuram area and Delhi's Punjabi Bagh area," the officer said.

The injured accused was sent to a hospital for treatment while further legal proceedings in the case are underway, he added.

The police said accused Aman has more than half a dozen cases of theft lodged against him at the Punjabi Bagh Police Station in Delhi.