Jharsuguda: A gunfight broke out between police and a notorious criminal near Amaraha forest under the Orient police station in Jharsuguda district on Monday morning.
Bunty Prasad, a resident of the Hanuman Nagar area, was injured in the left leg after police opened fire in self-defence. He was arrested on the spot and rushed to Khaliakani Community Health Centre for treatment.
According to police, Orient police station personnel launched a special combing operation around 6 am after receiving information that Bunty was hiding near the forest. The operation was linked to a serious case registered under Section 308(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 25(1-B)/27(1) of the Arms Act.
When the police team approached, Bunty opened fire in an attempt to escape. After a brief exchange, police personnel returned fire in self-defence, hitting him in the left leg and causing him to fall. He was immediately overpowered and taken into custody. Illegal weapons were recovered from the scene.
Jharsuguda Superintendent of Police Gundala Reddy Raghavendra said: “Maintaining law and order in the district and taking strict action against criminals is our top priority. The criminal Bunty Prasad was trying to escape by firing directly at the police team.
The police were forced to open fire in self-defence. We have a zero-tolerance policy against organised crime and illegal arms trafficking in Jharsuguda. Criminals who take the law into their own hands will not be spared under any circumstances.”
The SP added that a strict watch has been placed on other accomplices and arms suppliers, and the entire network will be traced.
Police records show 17 cases pending against Bunty Prasad across Jharsuguda, Brajrajnagar and Orient police stations. These include charges related to attempt to murder, robbery, organised crime and illegal arms trafficking.
Following the encounter, tension prevailed in Brajrajnagar and the surrounding industrial area. Police have intensified patrolling in the region.
