PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE /Dehradun
A hard-core criminal was killed in a police encounter in Premnagar area on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. During the exchange of fire, Premnagar SHO Naresh Rathore was injured on being hit by a bullet. Two other accused managed to escape from the spot and are currently absconding. Police said that the police have killed a criminal in an encounter in Dehradun after a hiatus of 17 years.
Police recovered one country-made pistol (.32 bore) with two live cartridges and one country-made firearm (.315 bore) with three live cartridges. Besides, the vehicle used in the crime, looted cash of Rs two lakh, a mobile phone and important documents were recovered from the spot.
The deceased criminal was identified as Akram, son of Masoom Ali, a resident of Shamli, Uttar Pradesh. Police said that more than a dozen criminal cases were registered against him in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. He had come to Dehradun for a court hearing on April 29 and he was to be produced at the court on Thursday.
The inspector general of police (IG Garhwal), Rajeev Swaroop said that around 11 PM, police received information through the control room that some unknown criminals had shot a man on Pondha Road and robbed him. After receiving the information, the Premnagar SHO and police team rushed to the spot and found the injured victim, Devraj, who works as a contractor.
Devraj told police that the accused had come in a black car, blocked his scooter, shot him and snatched his bag containing Rs two lakh. The police immediately shifted the injured to the hospital and started searching for the vehicle used by the criminals.
The senior superintendent of police (SSP) Dehradun, Pramendra Dobal said that the police had spotted the black car near a forest area and started chasing it. During the chase, the criminals opened fire on the police and later abandoned their car and ran into the forest.
The police team followed them into the forest, where another exchange of fire took place during which SHO Rathore was hit by a bullet. In self-defence, the police fired back and pumped three bullets into Akram. He was taken to Deen Dayal Upadhyay District Hospital where doctors declared him dead.
Dobal said that based on the complaint of the victim, a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for attempted murder and robbery. Another case has been registered for the attack on the police team.
Police said that Akram was a history-sheeter with more than a dozen serious criminal cases, including murder and robbery in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. He was also the main accused in the infamous 2014 robbery and murder case in Balawala.
Police have launched a massive manhunt for the other two accused.
