Neighbours in TNHB Colony said police arrived in their narrow 3rd lane around 10 on Wednesday night and told them to stay indoors, shut doors and windows, switch off lights and not make phone calls.
“They did not tell us why,” said Lakshmi. “We were tense and did not sleep throughout the night. There were sounds of policemen moving about. Then there was gunfire around 1 am.”
Reliable sources said police got the big break after the landlord of the premises at number 335, who lives on the first floor, saw TV visuals of Vinodkumar and called police. He also went to his tenant, returned his Rs 20,000 deposit and told him to vacate. In the process, he might have inadvertently alerted the gang but luckily, police moved in quickly.
This, perhaps, explains commissioner J.K. Tripathy’s statement that the suspects were planning to flee.
Sources also said the landlord told police he did not want the Rs1 lakh reward for information on the suspects. Neighbours said the five men were rarely outside and did not mingle.