Wanted criminal injured in Prayagraj police encounter, held

PRAYAGRAJ, Feb 13 (HS): A wanted criminal Sahil ‘Shahnawaz’, resident of Pratapgarh district had been arrested after an encounter with Kareli police and SOG team in the wee hours on Saturday. The arrested criminal sustained a bullet injury in his leg during the encounter, while his aides managed to flee.

SSP Prayagraj, Sarvshreshtha Tripathi said that a police team led by Kareli inspector was checking the vehicles near the culvert on Sasur Khaderi river when the criminals were spotted on a Bolero car sans number plate. When the police party tried to stop the trio, they opened fire. The bullet broke the windscreen of the police vehicle and hit the seat, but no one was hurt in the firing. The police then chased the criminals and intercepted them near a trisection; where they quickly alighted from the vehicle and again fired on police. In the exchange of fire, criminal Sahil ‘Shahnawaz’ sustained bullet injury in his right leg. However, two of his aides managed to evade police and vanished in the thin air. The arrested accused has over 24 cases registered against him in Prayagraj and adjoining Pratapgarh district. During interrogation, the accused revealed that the Bolero in which they were travelling has been stolen from Beni Madhav Temple in Kydganj, Prayagraj, which was parked there by devotees from Kushinagar who came here to take holy dip on the occasion of Mauni Amavasya. Meanwhile, police had launched combing operations to nab his aides at the earliest.