Anantapur: An accused involved in an attempted murder case was shot by police while trying to arrest him in Anantapur town on Sunday. The incident followed a series of knife attacks in which three persons, including a police officer, were injured.

According to police, the incident began around 8.15 pm on December 21 near Ayyappa Cafe in Aravind Nagar, where four friends were consuming alcohol. During the gathering, Ajay, a resident of Naik Nagar, allegedly stabbed Chakali Raja after an argument over liquor. Raja sustained serious injuries in the abdomen and was rushed to Government General Hospital (GGH), Anantapur, where he is undergoing treatment on a ventilator.

Following a complaint, police launched search for the accused. After receiving information at 9.30 am on Monday that Ajay was in TV Tower area, II Town police personnel attempted to detain him. The accused allegedly stabbed an auto driver Baba causing severe injuries. The victim was immediately shifted to Kumar Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment.

Police teams led by II Town CI Srikant intensified search. Acting on specific information that the accused was hiding in a garden near Akuthotapalli, police reached the spot. During the operation, the accused allegedly attacked CI Srikant with a knife, forcing the officer to fire from his 9mm pistol, hitting the accused near the knee. Both the injured accused and CI Srikant were shifted to GGH Anantapur for treatment.

District SP P Jagadeesh stated that the police would not tolerate such violent acts and assured that strict legal action would be taken to ensure swift punishment.