The Special Task Force (STF) arrested five miscreants after an encounter in the Murthal area of Sonepat district at midnight, during which two of the accused sustained bullet injuries.The miscreants were wanted in a kidnapping and ransom case registered at Beri police station in Bahadurgarh of Jhajjar district.The encounter occurred near Mehandipur village, near to the Yamuna river. Acting on a tip-off about the suspects’ presence, an STF team led by Inspector Rakesh Kumar laid a trap.“As the team reached the spot, the miscreants opened fire. The police retaliated, injuring two of them in the legs,” the officer said.The injured have been identified as Chitrandan alias Manjeet and Vinny, both of Kansala village in Rohtak district. The other accused – Dipanshu alias Chhota, Ashok alias Shoki, both of Makdoli village in Rohtak, and Rohit of Bhali Anandpur – have also been arrested from the spot.Police recovered two pistols, cartridges and a vehicle from their possession.As per the primary information, the miscreants had kidnapped eight-year-old Hunarjeet, grandson of BDM Nursing College owner Satbir Singh of Barani Fort village in Jhajjar, on March 4 during Holi. The child had been kidnapped in a white Scorpio, and a ransom of Rs 5 crore was demanded.Fearing for the child’s safety, the college owner had given the ransom and brought the child back safely.The injured accused have been admitted to Civil Hospital in Sonepat. Further investigation is underway.