Ghaziabad, July 29 - A criminal was gunned down here Wednesday in a shootout in which six police officers were injured, police said.

When police teams were checking vehicles along the National Highway 24, three men refused to stop their motor-cycles and opened fire at police, circle officer R.K. Gautam said.

Station officer D.C. Tiwari and two constable sustained bullet injuries in the firing, which prompted retaliatory firing from police, he said.

Two constables and a police sub-inspector were injured later, while police found one of the trio lying in a ditch - his accomplices had fled away, the police officer said.

All the injured were rushed to hospitals where the criminal was declared dead while the injured policemen and officers was stated to be out of danger.

On the basis of papers found in his pocket, the dead man was identified as Neeraj Sharma, a resident of Bamheta here who was facing 13 cases of robbery, attempt to murder and murder, the police officer said.

A 9mm pistol and a huge quantity of live and used cartridges were recovered from him. His motorcycle was also seized.