Kendujhar: A notorious interstate robber wanted in more than 30 theft cases in Odisha was injured in an encounter with police in Kendujhar district on Monday after he allegedly opened fire on cops while attempting to escape.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Nafis of Jharkhand, is suspected to have been involved in a series of thefts in Kendujhar and Mayurbhanj districts of Odisha.
Police Nafis, who had been arrested earlier, was taken to the Patala forest near Champua early in the morning to recover property that he had allegedly hidden there after committing thefts in different places.
During the process, the robber allegedly retrieved a country-made firearm concealed in the forest and fired two rounds at the police team in an attempt to flee. As police retaliated in self-defence, Nafis sustained a bullet injury to one of his knees.
He was initially admitted to the Champua Hospital and was later shifted to the Kendujhar District Headquarters Hospital for further treatment.
Police seized a country-made gun from his possession. Further investigation is underway to identify Nafis’ associates and uncover his interstate criminal network.
