Officers Injured in Deadly Ambush as Villagers Block Roads and Open Fire – 13 Held, Probe Widens
CHANDIGARH: A Haryana Police team probing cyber fraud and vehicle theft walked into a storm in Nuh district’s Idana village on Saturday, when locals unleashed a barrage of stones and gunfire to block arrests. At least four to five policemen were injured in the deadly clash, highlighting once again the violent resistance police face while cracking down on entrenched cybercrime networks in the region.
The incident unfolded around noon when a joint team from the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) units in Tawadu and Punhana traced a stolen vehicle from Punjab to Idana, a remote village in the Aravallis, 50 km from Gurugram. Acting on intelligence about two key cyber fraud suspects, the officers moved in – only to be met with fierce resistance.
Villagers, including family members of the accused, first parked a bulldozer across the narrow dirt road to stop the police convoy. When officers pressed ahead, a mob of over 50 gathered, hurling stones at the team and their vehicles. Tensions spiked as gunmen fired 10–12 rounds from illegal rifles, forcing police to fire warning shots before retreating briefly for reinforcements. “It was like a war zone. Bullets whizzed past and stones rained down,” said an injured constable.
By evening, with backup arriving from nearby stations, police arrested 13 people – including the two main suspects and several relatives. Two country-made rifles, live cartridges, and the stolen vehicle were recovered. The injured policemen, suffering bruises and fractures, are reported stable. Superintendent of Police Vijay Pratap assured strict action, saying, “These elements think they can scare us with guns and stones, but we’ll root them out.”
In April 2023, police raided 320 sites in 14 villages, exposing a Rs 100 crore racket that duped 28,000 victims nationwide. Fake job offers, cheap gadgets on OLX, sextortion, and even bogus “digital arrests” formed part of the scams. The 2023 Nuh riots further deepened the crisis when cyber crooks allegedly targeted police infrastructure, torching the newly set-up cyber station.
