Ghaziabad encounter: Snatching suspect Imran shot in leg, pistol and gold recovered
Synopsis
A snatching suspect wanted for stealing a woman's mangalsutra in Ghaziabad opened fire on police at a checkpoint before being shot in the leg and arrested. The recovered gold coin is believed to be derived from the melted mangalsutra — a detail that traces the entire criminal trail back to a single street crime on 11 September.
Key Takeaways
Kavinagar Police, Ghaziabad arrested snatching suspect Imran alias Makkhi , ~ 20 years old , on 23 September after an encounter near IDL College Road, Shatabdipuram .
Imran sustained a gunshot wound to his right leg after allegedly opening fire on police; he was treated at Joint District Hospital, Sanjay Nagar .
Police recovered a .315-bore pistol , one live cartridge, one empty cartridge, a gold coin , and a scooter .
The arrest stems from a mangalsutra snatching on 11 September in RK Puram, Govindpuram , involving approximately five grams of gold .
Imran has three prior snatching cases and one vehicle theft case registered against him at the Ghaziabad Commissionerate.
Associate Suraj fled the scene and remains at large; police are pursuing him.
Kavinagar Police in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, arrested a snatching suspect on 23 September 2026 following an encounter near the IDL College Road intersection in Shatabdipuram, during which the accused sustained a gunshot wound to his leg. The police recovered a .315-bore pistol, cartridges, a gold coin, and a scooter from the accused, identified as Imran alias Makkhi, approximately 20 years old, a resident of Loheya Nagar under the Adarsh Nagar Police Station area of Delhi.
The Mangalsutra Snatching That Triggered the Hunt
The chain of events began on 11 September, when a resident of Govindpuram, Kavinagar, filed a complaint stating that two unidentified men had snatched his wife's mangalsutra — containing approximately five grams of gold — before fleeing the scene. A case was registered and a dedicated police team was formed to trace the accused.
Investigators reviewed CCTV footage and gathered local intelligence, which helped narrow down the identity of the suspects. During interrogation, Imran allegedly admitted that he and an associate named Suraj had committed the snatching in RK Puram, Govindpuram on the morning of 11 September. According to police, the duo had allegedly melted the mangalsutra and converted it into gold pieces, which were subsequently recovered.
How the Encounter Unfolded
On 23 September, during a routine checking operation near the IDL College Road intersection, the police attempted to stop Imran and his associate. According to the police, both individuals failed to halt at the checkpoint and fled, prompting officers to give chase. The accused allegedly opened fire on the pursuing police team, who retaliated in self-defence, resulting in Imran sustaining a gunshot wound to his right leg. His associate reportedly escaped during the melee.
The injured accused was subsequently taken to the Joint District Hospital in Sanjay Nagar, Ghaziabad, for medical treatment. Police said further legal proceedings are underway.
Prior Criminal Record and Additional Offences
The arrest has surfaced a wider pattern of alleged criminal activity. According to police, three cases related to snatching and one case of vehicle theft have already been registered against Imran at the Ghaziabad Commissionerate. Interrogation also revealed that Imran and Suraj allegedly snatched two mobile phones from separate locations in the RDC area.
ACP Abhay Rajendra Daga stated: 'The informant also revealed that these two individuals had previously committed a snatching incident in the Govindpuram area on September 11, 2024. When both individuals on the scooty reached the checkpoint, the police team attempted to stop them, but they failed to stop, rapidly crossed the checkpoint, and fled, prompting the police to pursue them. Realising they were being chased, the two individuals fired at the police, who fired back in self-defence, resulting in one individual escaping while the other sustained a gunshot wound to his right leg. Upon questioning the injured individual, he revealed his name as Suraj.'
Items Recovered
Police recovered the following from the accused: a .315-bore pistol, one live cartridge, one empty cartridge, a gold coin, and a scooter. The recovered gold is believed to have been derived from the snatched mangalsutra, according to investigators.
What Happens Next
Police say legal proceedings are continuing and efforts are on to apprehend Imran's associate Suraj, who remains at large. The case underscores the recurring challenge of cross-border crime networks operating between Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh, a corridor that local law enforcement has flagged repeatedly in recent months.
Point of View
A chase, an exchange of fire — and once again raises questions that apply broadly to such incidents: were body cameras active, and will the forensic evidence corroborate the sequence of events as described? The case also highlights a persistent operational gap: Imran allegedly carried an active firearm and had four prior cases registered, yet appears to have operated freely across the Delhi-Ghaziabad corridor. The recovery of a melted and recast mangalsutra points to a supply chain for snatched gold that deserves as much investigative attention as the arrest itself. With associate Suraj still at large, the story is not over.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Imran alias Makkhi, arrested in the Ghaziabad encounter?
Imran alias Makkhi is an approximately 20-year-old resident of Loheya Nagar, Delhi, arrested by Kavinagar Police in Ghaziabad on 23 September after an encounter. He has three prior snatching cases and one vehicle theft case registered against him at the Ghaziabad Commissionerate.
What triggered the Ghaziabad encounter on 23 September?
During a checking operation near IDL College Road in Shatabdipuram, police attempted to stop Imran and an associate. The duo allegedly fled the checkpoint and opened fire on the pursuing police team, who retaliated in self-defence, injuring Imran in his right leg.
What items were recovered from the accused?
Police recovered a .315-bore pistol, one live cartridge, one empty cartridge, a gold coin, and a scooter from Imran. The gold coin is believed to have been made from the melted mangalsutra snatched on 11 September in Govindpuram.
What was the original crime that led to this arrest?
On 11 September, Imran and his associate Suraj allegedly snatched a woman's mangalsutra — about five grams of gold — in RK Puram, Govindpuram. The accused allegedly melted the jewellery and recast it as gold pieces, which were subsequently recovered by police.
Is the accused's associate Suraj in custody?
No. Suraj escaped during the encounter on 23 September and remains at large. Police have said they are continuing efforts to apprehend him as part of ongoing legal proceedings in the case.
