A CORRESPONDENT
RANGIA: Amid the festive celebrations of Durga Puja, a police encounter took place in Rangia early on Saturday morning, leaving a notorious dacoit injured. Rangia police shot and injured Jaan Mahmud, alias Mela, during an operation at Tulsibari in Kamrup district after he allegedly attempted to escape from police custody.
According to Co-District Superintendent of Police Dhrubajyoti Nath, Jaan Mahmud was one of the most wanted criminals in the region and had long been a major challenge for law enforcement agencies. Police said that he was the alleged mastermind behind several cases of snatching, highway robbery, dacoity, murder, and other serious crimes in Kamrup district as well as neighbouring areas including Baksa, Nalbari, and Udalguri.
Police said that Mahmud was arrested along with two alleged associates, Abdul Kalam and Baneswar Baro, from Rangia Tiniali on Friday. During interrogation, the accused allegedly revealed that they had planned to commit a major crime during the ongoing Durga Puja festivities.
Acting on the information, a police team took Mahmud to Tulsibari in the early hours of Saturday to recover hidden firearms, ammunition, and stolen articles allegedly concealed by him.
According to police, upon reaching the spot, Mahmud suddenly snatched a service pistol from a police officer and attempted to flee from the police cordon. Despite repeated warnings to stop, he allegedly continued trying to escape, forcing the police to open fire. One bullet struck him in the right leg, after which he was overpowered and taken into custody. The injured accused was immediately shifted to AIIMS Guwahati for treatment. Police said that his condition is now stable.
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