Goons slay cop in Saharanpur, escape with his carbine

After a brief lull, criminals struck again on Wednesday and shot dead the gunner of a Uttar Pradesh Police in full public glare in Saharanpur.

After the shooting, the criminals looted two motorcycles and fled with the carbine of slain constable. Police said the incident occurred at 9:30am near Hasanpur on Nawada road in Saharanpur.

Four car-borne men first looted Rs 6 lakh from border district of Yamunanagar in Haryana and ventured into Saharanpur.

Haryana police had, however, passed the details of the loot to Saharanpur police, which set up a check post.

At the check post, circle officer Umesh Yadav spotted a Verna car and asked its driver to stop for checking. The car, however, sped away. A police team chased the car and forced the driver to stop near Hasanpur.

But, the men in the car opened fire, killing gunner Rahul Dhaka. "The miscreant opened fire from a 9mm pistol. The gunner was killed on the spot," a police official said.

According to the eyewitnesses, instead of challenging criminals the police team fled from the spot to save their lives.

"We have launched a manhunt and the criminals would be arrested soon, said DC Mishra, DIG of Saharanpur range admitting that criminals have taken away the carbine of the slain gunner.