Ghaziabad, Oct 29 Three Special Operations Group (SOG) police personnel were critically injured during a shootout with dreaded gangster Ravinder Tyagi in western Uttar Pradesh, an official said. Tyagi was killed in the gun battle.

Tyagi, who is from Modinagar, was involved in over 30 cases of robbery and murder and carried a reward of Rs. 50,000 on his head, police said.

Sub-Inspector Anil Kaparwan with Paramjeet Singh and Aditya Bhati intercepted Tyagi near the busy Mohan Nagar crossing at around 12.45 p. m. Thursday. On seeing the men approach him, Tyagi and his accomplices started indiscriminate firing on them.

"They fired from .38 caliber pistols and a carbine on the SOG men," Senior Superintendent of Police Akhil Kumar said. Kaparwan and Singh sustained bullet injuries in their chest and abdomen respectively, and Bhati in his arm.

"Tyagi was declared dead at MMG district hospital after he was shot down in retaliatory fire," Kumar said.

The three injured men managed to drive their Esteem car to the nearest hospital and were later rushed to the ICU of Yashoda Hospital for surgery, police said.

Inspector General (IG) Meerut Range Javed Akhtar also rushed to Ghaziabad after news of the incident.

"Condition of the SI Kaparwan and Paramjeet Singh was stated to be critical. They went through major surgeries," the SSP said. (IANS)