Criminal injured in police encounter

In Uttar Pradesh’s Shravasti district, police claimed to have injured a criminal during a late-night encounter on Monday. According to officials, the joint operation by Bhinga Kotwali police and the Special Operations Group (SOG) was part of the ongoing “Operation Langda,” aimed at cracking down on criminal activities in the region.

The encounter took place on the road leading from Anta Tiraha to Janki Nagar, where police intercepted a group of suspects allegedly planning a robbery. Authorities stated that the suspects opened fire on the police team with the intent to kill. During the exchange, Constable Praveen Pandey was injured after falling while trying to avoid the gunfire.

In the retaliatory action, Mangre Prasad, a resident of Gobar village, was shot in the leg. He was subsequently arrested along with his associate, Hanumangarhi resident Luchi. Police recovered a .315 bore country-made pistol, live and spent cartridges, a knife, burglary tools, and stolen goods from the scene. Officials believe the recovered items are linked to thefts reported in Bhinga, Sirsia, and Sonwa police station areas.

However, two other suspects, Girish Baheliya and Shivkumar Jaiswal alias Dubey, managed to escape during the operation. Efforts are underway to locate and apprehend them, police said.

Both the injured constable and the suspect shot during the encounter are receiving treatment at CHC Bhinga. Authorities are hopeful that interrogating the arrested individuals will shed light on other thefts in the region and help curb criminal activities further.