Suspected extremist opens fire in Hyderabad, two cops injured

Hyderabad, Dec 3 (IANS) Two policemen were injured when a suspected extremist opened fire while they were trying to arrest a former activist of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) here Wednesday.

The incident took place around 1 p.m. in Santosh Nagar area in the city when policemen were trying to arrest Vikaruddin outside a telephone booth.

Police Commissioner B. Prasada Rao told reporters that one of the two people accompanying Vikaruddin opened fire from his weapon when policemen tried to arrest him.

'They opened three rounds injuring head constable Guru Rama Raju and escaped after throwing their weapon,' he said. Another head constable sustained injuries in the scuffle. Both the policemen were shifted to a hospital.

The police commissioner said Vikaruddin, a resident of Malakpet area in the city, is a former activist of the SIMI and the Daragah Jihad-e-Shahadat (DJS), a city-based rightwing organisation which trains Muslim youths in self-defence.

He clarified that there was no connection with last week's terror attacks in Mumbai.

Police sounded a high alert after the incident and stepped up patrolling and checking of vehicles.