A notorious criminal sustained a bullet injury in an encounter with the police in Rourkela, Odisha, on Wednesday, an official confirmed.
Acting on specific intelligence about the movements of two wanted criminals, Beyas Lakhua and Amit Topno, a police team led by the Inspector-in-Charge (IIC) of Bisra Police Station attempted to apprehend them early in the morning, said Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Brijesh Kumar Rai.
As the police team approached, Lakhua opened fire in an attempt to evade arrest. In retaliation, the police fired back, injuring him, the officer added.
According to police, several cases have been registered against the duo in both Jharkhand and Odisha. Lakhua has four criminal cases against him, while Topno is facing three. Authorities are currently verifying additional pending cases across multiple police stations in both states.
“We have been tracking them with intelligence from our sources in Odisha and Jharkhand. Late last night, Bisra IIC received information that the two were spotted in a white Scorpio SUV,” said Rourkela Superintendent of Police (SP) Nitesh Wadhwani.
Following the tip-off, two police teams moved to intercept them. “Our team attempted to stop them, but realizing they couldn’t escape, they started firing. In response, we fired four rounds, and one of our bullets hit Lakhua,” Wadhwani stated.
Lakhua sustained a bullet wound just below his right knee, which exited from the back. He is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Rourkela, the officer said.
Topno managed to flee under the cover of darkness but was captured after an hour-long search operation, the SP confirmed.
Both criminals are residents of Jharkhand.
The police have seized a country-made 9mm pistol, a magazine, four empty cartridges, two mobile phones, and the SUV used by the criminals. Further investigations are underway.
Sources By Agencies
