One robber was arrested and another managed to escape on Wednesday early morning after Praful Ghodke, inspector (law & order), Sakinaka police station, missed the targets shot at from his service revolver.

Earlier, the duo had robbed an auto driver, Mohammed Sharif Shamsul Huda Khan (46), of Rs 5,200 and also stabbed him on Andheri-Ghatkopar Road at around 1 am in the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.

Ghodke, who was on patrolling duty, reached the spot and found that the robbers had gone to a nearby Metro Rail construction site to rob of the construction workers.

When Ghodke accosted them, the duo attacked him with knives and bamboo poles, said Kishor Sawant, senior inspector, Sakinaka police station.

“Ghodke in a flash pulled out his service revolver and fired at the two robbers. But the bullets missed them and none of them were injured. In the mêlée, one of the accused escaped, but Ghodke arrested the other one with the help of a beat marshal and local residents,” said Sawant.

The arrested accused had been identified as Mohammed Azhar Yusuf Shaikh (27), while the accused, who escaped, has been identified as Azaj alias Daku (30).

Shaikh has eight cases of robbery, theft, housebreaking, and pickpocketing registered against him at Trombay police station, Sawant said.

The police have booked both the accused under Sections 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery), 307 (attempt to murder), 397 (robbery, or dacoity, with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt), 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the relevant sections of the Arms Act, 1959.