5 including wanted gangsters shot dead in Delhi

New Delhi, May 6 (UNI) Delhi Police shot dead five gangsters, including Ayub and Aslam, who were wanted in Uttar Pradesh and carried rewards on their head, in a late night encounter in Sonia Vihar area of North East Delhi.

Acting on a tip off, a team of city police's Special Cell was waiting for the gangsters near the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border last night. At about 2245 hrs, Ayub and five others were spotted in a Tata Sumo, police said today.

The vehicle occupants were told to stop but they tried to flee while firing at the police, who returned the fire injuring five of the gangsters. One of the gang members managed to escape into the woods along the Yamuna in the cover of darkness.

The injured were taken to hospital but were declared 'dead on arrival'.

Ayub, the gang leader and mastermind, hailed from Meerut, UP as did Aslam, Manoj and Sanjay. The identity of the fifth accomplice was yet to be established.

The gang was involved in about 70 criminal cases, including murder, dacoity, robbery, extortion and theft, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal and Delhi.

UP police had announced a reward of Rs 10,000 on Ayub while there was a reward of Rs 20,000 on Aslam's head.

Locally and foreign made arms and ammunition, including a grenade, were recovered from them.

A case had been registered and police was on the look out for the one who had escaped.

After committing more than 15 dacoities and robberies, Ayub and Aslam along with 21 associates had been arrested in 2004 and a huge recovery was made from them. But the gang became active again after coming out of jail.

UNI IP LS KP1712