Two robbers carrying cash rewards killed in police encounter in UP, 2 cops injured

Firozabad (UP), Jul 17 (PTI) Two alleged robbers, each carrying a cash reward, were killed in an encounter with a joint team of the Etawah Special Operations Group (SOG) and Firozabad police on Friday, while two policemen sustained bullet injuries, one critically, officials said. The encounter occurred around noon near Neem Kharia village in the Shikohabad police station area after the accused, wanted in a chain-snatching case reported in Etawah on July 3, allegedly opened fire on police, they said. Agra Additional Director General (ADG) of Police S K Bhagat said the Etawah SOG and surveillance team received information that the two wanted criminals, travelling from Ghaziabad to Jharkhand, were aboard the Sambalpur Express. A joint team with the Firozabad police began inspecting the train after it halted at Shikohabad railway station. The two accused got off the train and fled towards a nearby village. During the chase, they allegedly took a child hostage to evade arrest before abandoning the child and escaping on a motorcycle, Bhagat said. When police pursued them, the accused allegedly opened fire, injuring SOG constables David Chauhan (who suffered a bullet injury in the abdomen) and Pushpendra (who was shot in the shoulder). Both were admitted to the hospital, and Chauhan was referred to Agra in a critical condition, he said. Police later cordoned off the area, and both accused were killed in a subsequent exchange of fire. The deceased were identified as Sumit, 25, and Ankit, 26. Bhagat said both were criminals with long records who carried rewards. Senior police officers, including Etawah SSP Brijesh Kumar Srivastava, Firozabad SSP Aditya Langhe, ADG Bhagat and Agra IG Deepak Kumar, visited the encounter site. Police said an investigation is underway. PTI COR CDN ASD ASD