Kendrapara: A dreaded criminal was injured in an exchange of fire with the police in Kendrapara district in the wee hours of Tuesday.
The injured criminal Sheikh Mehtab was rushed to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
Acting on a tip-off that Mehtab and his associates are on their way to Kendrapara, a joint team of Sadar Police and a special squad blocked the road at Era Chhak on Gandakhia road early in the morning and tried to intercept them.
As he opened four rounds of fire on the police, the latter retaliated. The criminal sustained bullet injuries on both his knees. His associate managed to escape.
Police seized a 9 mm pistol, two mobile phones, cash worth Rs 9000 and a bike from his possession.
The police had been on the hunt for Mehtab, who had opened fire on Babuli Maharana, a local trader of Kendrapara recently.
While eight cases of dacoity, robbery, extortion and attempt to murder are pending in different police stations in Kendrapara district, he has over 30 criminal cases pending in the police stations in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur and Jagatsinghpur districts.
