Five persons were arrested on charges of cattle lifting and seven cows recovered from their pickup truck at village Pali in the district, police said today.
The local residents had installed barricades at the exit point of the village to enhance vigilance on cattle lifting and other crimes, police said.
On the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, a pickup vehicle with cows on it was stopped at the barricades and on being enquired the accused opened fire on the guards and tried to sped away, they said.
Soon the vehicle lost control and brushed with a trailer and then hit a tree. The engine of the pickup had caught fire and by the time localites caught them and roughed them up, police said.
However, unconfirmed sources said that the vehicle was torched by agitated villagers.
The arrested were identified as Iqbal, Tayyab, Imran, Sahil and Fakru all residents of Palwal.
All five except Iqbal are hospitalised due to injuries while one of them was referred to Safdarjang Hospital in Delhi.
Investigating officer sub inspector Aniruddh said that seven cows were recovered from the vehicle while a country- made pistol and four live bullets were recovered from the arrested gang.
A case has been registered with police station sector-55 Faridabad under section 379, 307, 323 and 34 of IPC and sections 11, 59 and 60 of the Animal Act.
Section 25, 54 and 59 of Arms Act have also been invoked in the case.
