New Delhi, Mar 31 (PTI) 

The Delhi Police Special Cell on Thursday arrested three members of Lawrence Bishnoi gang after a skirmish which involved both parties firing at each other, officials said.

The accused were identified as Vivek Puri (22), a resident of Bihar, Prashant Hinjrao (24), a resident of Uttar Pradesh, and Ashwini Kumar (25), a resident of Haryana, they said.

Three gangsters have been nabbed after a brief exchange of fire around 7.15 pm on Thursday at Simon Bolivar Road near Buddha Garden, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Jasmeet Singh said.

Police said they had received a tip-off that three members of the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang would come in a car at Simon Bolivar Road near Buddha Garden around 7 pm. Following the information, a trap was laid, and a team was deployed, which spotted the accused in a car on the said location, he said.

When police tried to flag down their car, the accused made an escape bid but found their way ahead blocked by the police.

It is then Puri and Hinjrao came out of the car and opened fire at police, Singh said, adding that police also fired a round and eventually overpowered them.

Three pistols and 13 live cartridges were recovered from them, police said.

Besides the Bishnoi gang, the three accused have been associated with gang of Kala Rana for the last four years, they said.

Puri, Hinjrao, and six others, including Kala Rana, were arrested in 2018 in a case of murder, attempt to murder, and robbery in Ambala, Haryana, they said.

In that case, the accused had barged into a jewellery showroom to rob it, but when they were confronted by workers, they fired indiscriminately and killed a person, and injured another, police said.

Puri has previously been involved and arrested in many cases of extortion, robbery, murder, attempt to murder, Arms Act etc. in Bihar, Punjab and Haryana, they said.

Hinjrao was involved in four criminal cases in Haryana and Punjab, and Ashwini was involved in cases of arms-supplying in the same states.

He used to supply firearms to gang members of Lawrence Bishnoi and Kala Rana, said police.