NEW DELHI, December 3: Constables Nanhe Lal and Tejbir were out to catch robbers in the Babarpur area of north-east Delhi early this morning, where they barely managed to escape being robbed and shot. But the policemen retaliated and managed to nab one of the robbers after injuring him.Nanhe Lal and Tejbir, attired in plain clothes, were on a special assignment: several incidents of robbery had been reported from the area in the past few days; there were also reports that the area was a favourite hideout for robbers.The policemen were surveying the area on a cycle-rickshaw. Nanhe Lal was driving the rickshaw, while his colleague posed as his passenger. They had reached the Babarpur bus terminus around 5.30 a.m. and had stopped the rickshaw for a few minutes, when four youths accosted them. Two of them reportedly brandished knives, while another whipped out a country-made pistol. They asked the policemen to give up their valuables.When Nanhe Lal and Tejbir objected, the youth with the country-made pistol opened fire. Tejbir retaliated with his service revolver, injuring one of the youths - later identified as Shabbir, 22 - on his left leg.
