The Mancheswar Police along with a Special Squad team nabbed most wanted criminal Raghu Biswal following an encounter late Wednesday night. While Raghu sustained a bullet injury in the encounter, his associate Punia Nayak managed to flee from the spot.
Raghu has 15 cases in his name in several Police Stations, out of which eight cases are related to gun violence. As per reports, he is an active member of the Ravi Rao gang.
As per police sources, Mancheswar police and special squad got a tip off about Raghu and his associate Punia Nayak moving around suspiciously on a two-wheeler late Wednesday night. After getting reliable information, the special squad intercepted them and directed to surrender.
However, the criminals fired shots at the police when they tried to chase and stop them. In retaliation, the police returned fire in which Raghu sustained a gunshot wound on his left leg. A 7.5mm pistol and a bike have been recovered from his possession.
He was taken to Capital hospital, but later, shifted to SCB hospital in Cuttack for better treatment.
The Twin City Commissionerate Police has made elaborate security arrangements to ensure peaceful celebration of Christmas and New Year in Bhubaneswar. The police have been directed to deal sternly with mischief mongers and anti-socials during this time.
Speaking about the encounter, Bhubaneswar DCP Prateek Singh said, “The Mancheswar Police got a tip off about these two criminals at around 3am this morning. A police team immediately reached the spot near Bali Yatra ground in Bhubaneswar where they found the criminals roaming in a bike in suspicious condition. They fired shots at the police after which the police retaliated in self defence and injured Raghu on the spot. Another criminal on the bike fled the spot.”
“Raghu Biswal is a hardened criminal. He has several cases running on his name mainly highway loot and chain snatching. Though Ravi Rao is in jail, his gang members seem to have got active. They are professional criminals and they will not stop breaking the law until we put them behind the bars,” Singh added.