'Mugger', 2 cops hurt in 'gunfight'

Two policemen and an alleged mugger were injured in a “gunfight” between law enforcers and a group of muggers at Chattogram city's Marine Drive road yesterday.

Police claimed to have arrested two muggers and seized firearms and ammunition from their possession, police said.

After the alleged gunfight, police arrested two suspected muggers and seized firearms and ammunition from their possessions, police said.

The injured are Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Ronesh and ASI Ruhul of Kotwali Police Station and mugger Zumman, 22, a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver by profession.

The two cops were given primary treatment at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) while Zumman was admitted there.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kotwali Police Station Mohammed Mohsin said that after a tip-off, a police team installed a temporary check post and was checking vehicles to arrest the muggers.

When police halted a CNG-run auto-rickshaw, the muggers began shooting pellets at the law enforcers, forcing them to retaliate, the OC said, adding that the two ASIs sustained pellet wounds while Zumman sustained bullet injuries.

Police recovered a pellet gun, two empty bullet shells and several knives, the OC added.

SI Nipu Biswas, second officer of Kotwali Police Station, said the knives were stuck on the inside of the CNG-run auto-rickshaw by magnets.

“They are professional muggers and used to snatch belongings from the people who would commute at night,” he added.

A case was filed in this connection.