Banda, 25 Oct

(HS): On late Friday night, in Banda, Uttar

Pradesh, a joint team of Kalinjar police station and the Special Operations

Group (SOG) arrested two notorious thieves after a shootout. During the

encounter, one of the thieves, Irshad, was shot in the leg in police

retaliation. The injured man has been admitted to the district hospital, where

his condition is said to be out of danger. The thieves used to travel in a

Honda car during the night and target vacant houses and shops.

According to reports, a police team, under the

supervision of Additional Superintendent of Police Shivraj and Naraini Circle

Officer Krishnakant Tripathi, was patrolling the area in search of wanted

criminals. Meanwhile, near Saunta Mod, the police signaled a Honda car coming

from Banda Road to stop, but the occupants of the car turned at high speed and

began fleeing.

The police team pursued them and set up a siege on

the Sadha Link Road, about a kilometer ahead. Meanwhile, the car went out of

control and got stuck in a roadside ditch. When cornered, the criminals opened

fire on the police. The police returned fire in self-defense, shooting one of

the criminals, Irshad, in the leg. Both suspects were subsequently arrested.

Police investigation revealed that the accused

would escape late at night in a Honda car and commit thefts by breaking into

homes and shop shutters. These criminals were active in several districts,

including Banda, Mahoba, Fatehpur, Prayagraj, and Madhya Pradesh, and were

reportedly planning a major crime last night.

Police recovered a Honda car, illegal pistols and

cartridges, and lock-picking tools from the scene. Additional Superintendent of

Police Shivraj stated that the injured accused, Irshad, has more than half a dozen

criminal cases registered against him, including attempted murder and police

encounters. He is being interrogated to gather information about the gang.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi