Liquor mafia injured in police encounter, arrested
PRAYAGRAJ, March 20 (HS): In yet another incident of police taking on hardcore criminals, Haseeb Ahmed, alleged liquor mafia and wanted by Prayagraj police in a dozen criminal cases was shot and injured during an encounter on Saturday under Utraon police station. Three hundred bottles of spurious liquor were recovered from the car along with equipments to manufacture illicit liquor.
According to a report, when a police team signalled Haseeb, a resident of Nawabganj, Prayagraj to stop who was driving a car without number plate for checking under Utraon police station limits of Prayagraj, the criminal opened fire on police and tried to vanish in the thin air by speeding the car. . The bullet broke the windscreen of the police vehicle and hit the seat, but no one was hurt in the firing. Surveillance and quick response squad were instantly pressed to nab him during the chase. He tried to hoodwink cops by turning the car towards a service lane but lost control and hit a barrier. He again fired on a cop after alighting from the car, but in the retaliatory fire by the police, he sustained a bullet wound on his leg.
“In the morning, when our patrolling team signalled him to stop, instead of listening to us, he opened fire at the police team leaving a cop injured. In self-defence, our officials opened fire during which his leg was hit by a bullet and he fell down. During interrogation, he spilled the beans about his involvement in illicit liquor trade and used to supply spurious liquor for consumption in Utraon area,” SP trans-Ganga area Dhawal Jaiswal said, adding that a country-made pistol, live cartridges and car sans number plate was recovered from his possession. He has been admitted to a hospital for treatment.
It is worth mentioning that police has swung into action and initiated crackdown on those involved in the business of spurious liquor after three hooch tragedies in span of a week. Three back to back hooch tragedies in Fatehpur, Pratapgarh and Handia kept police and administration officials on tenterhooks.
