Firozpur (Punjab) [India], August 10 : Two alleged gangsters involved in extortion cases were injured and arrested following an exchange of fire with police in Mallanwala area of Punjab's Firozpur district, officials said.
According to Firozpur Senior Superintendent of Police Bhupinder Singh, the incident took place during a police blockade when two men travelling on a motorcycle were signalled to stop.
"During the blockade, two people were seen riding on motorcycles. They were signalled to stop. They did not stop and tried to drive back. When the police party tried to stop them, they fired. They fired two or three shots at the police vehicle, and the police responded by taking cover behind their vehicle," the SSP said.
He said both suspects were injured in the ensuing exchange of fire and were subsequently shifted to hospital for treatment.
The accused have been identified as Harpreet Singh, son of Jitender Singh and a resident of Talwandi Sobha under Sadar Patti police station, and Dilbagh Singh, son of Rajpal Singh.
"Both of them have been arrested. Two pistols have been recovered from them, which they used to fire at the police," Bhupinder Singh said.
The SSP alleged that the two men were involved in extortion and had been associated with multiple criminal incidents.
"They are extortionists. They have been involved in many incidents and have opened fire at multiple places, due to which they have been caught, and now they will go to jail for a long time," he said.
Following the encounter, both accused were taken to Civil Hospital Firozpur, where they were provided medical treatment.
Emergency Medical Officer Dr Rajendra Kumar said the two men, aged 22 and 24, were brought to the hospital from Mallanwala with injuries to their legs.
"There are two young men, aged 22 and 24, brought from Mallanwala. They have leg injuries. The patients are stable; treatment is currently underway, and they are doing fine. The police are reporting gunshot wounds, but we are currently examining them," the doctor said.
Police have recovered two pistols allegedly used during the firing, while further investigation is underway to establish the accused's involvement in other criminal incidents and extortion cases.
The latest encounter comes amid intensified action by Punjab Police against organised crime, gang activity and extortion networks across the state. Police have been conducting checkpoints and targeted operations to track suspects involved in violent crimes and illegal firearms.
Further investigation will focus on tracing the wider network, establishing the source of the weapons and examining the suspects' alleged links to other cases.