Sidhi: In a daring daytime attack, miscreants arriving in multiple vehicles surrounded an Odisha Police team in the Chhuhiya Valley of Sidhi district, Madhya Pradesh, on Tuesday and freed an NDPS accused from custody after opening fire and assaulting the officers.
The incident occurred in the Rampur Naikin police station area near the Rewa-Sidhi border. According to Sidhi Superintendent of Police Santosh Kori, the Odisha Police team of eight personnel was escorting Aditya Mishra, an accused in a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) case, from Odisha to the Rewa district court for production. The officers were properly armed.
Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kamla Joshi said the local police received a call from the Odisha team at around 11.25 a.m. as the police vehicle passed through the Chhuhiya Valley, three to four vehicles carrying the miscreants blocked its path, two from the front and one from the rear.
The attackers opened fire, discharging two to three rounds, and assaulted the police officers with baseball bats and sticks. They smashed the vehicle’s windows, and in one account, a bullet punctured a tyre. Some reports indicate they used chilli spray in the officers’ eyes to disorient them.
The miscreants then freed Aditya Mishra from custody, forced him into one of their vehicles, and fled the scene, reportedly heading towards Maihar. Despite the firing and assault, no Odisha Police personnel were reported injured.
SP Kori confirmed that the Odisha team dialled emergency services after the attack. Local police from Sidhi and nearby stations were immediately alerted and rushed to the spot. Police have launched a large search operation, intensified vehicle checks, and efforts to identify the suspects.
Police presence has been stepped up in the Chhuhiya Valley and surrounding areas. The incident has triggered a high alert in the region. Authorities are examining CCTV footage from the route and questioning locals for leads.
Investigations are continuing jointly, with Sidhi police coordinating closely with their Odisha counterparts to trace the absconding accused and the gang that facilitated his escape.
(IANS)
