Keonjhar: A criminal, wanted in dozens of cases, was injured during a fierce encounter with Keonjhar Sadar Police in the early hours of Tuesday.
The accused, identified as Prabhat Mallik, was on the wanted list of police. He was allegedly involved in more than 40 cases including dacoity, armed robbery, theft, and other violent offences across the region.
According to police sources, the chain of events leading to the shootout began after Mallik was apprehended at around 4 am near Tangrani and confessed to his involvement in an armed robbery, where a whopping Rs 8.18 lakh in cash had been looted. Following which, a police team escorted Mallik to a water tank in Mahuldiha forest to recover the looted cash and weapon caches hidden there. However, the operation took a dangerous turn when Mallik managed to retrieve a concealed country-made firearm and opened fire at the accompanying police squad in a desperate attempt to escape.
The police team responded in self-defence, leading to a brief gunfight. Mallik was shot and sustained injuries in his leg before being overpowered and disarmed by the officers. No police personnel were seriously injured in the exchange. Mallik was immediately rushed to Dharanidhar Medical College and Hospital , where he is currently undergoing treatment under tight security.
Police seized the country-made gun used in the attack alongside a substantial amount of the looted cash at the spot. A fresh case has been registered against Mallik under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Arms Act and further investigation is underway.
