Hyderabad, Aug 16 (IANS): Police shot dead a robber after he attacked a police officer in Shamsabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad late Friday night.

A cop fired in self-defence killing the robber after the latter attacked a police officer with a knife.

According to police, the incident occurred when a police party engaged in vehicle checking on a service road along the Outer Ring Road near HUDA colony stopped a man on two-wheeler.

He suddenly attacked a sub-inspector with a knife, injuring him.

Inspector Narasimha Reddy opened three rounds of fire from his service revolver, killing the man on the spot.

The dead man was identified as K. Shiva, 28, a native of Nellore district of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

According to police, he was involved in 250 cases of thefts and robberies in both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states.

Injured sub-inspector Venkateshwarlu was admitted to a hospital, where his condition is stated to be stable.

Cyberabad Police Commissioner C. V. Anand, who visited the scene, said the police had launched a checking drive on service roads after tracking him with the help of his mobile phone signals. The robber was said to be active in Cyberabad police commissionerate limits for last few weeks.

This was the second such incident on the outskirts of Hyderabad in two weeks.

A police constable and a gangster were killed and a sub-inspector was injured in a gunfight between police and a gang involved in circulation of fake currency at Majidpur village near Shamirpet on the intervening night of Aug 1 and 2.

The clash occurred when the gang of four resisted police attempts to arrest them. Three others managed to escape.