Rourkela: Notorious criminal sustained a bullet injury in an encounter with police in Rourkela on Wednesday, an officer said. On getting specific information about the movement of two notorious criminals, Beyas Lakhua and Amit Topno, a police team, led by the inspector in-charge of Bisra police station, tried to nab the duo early on Wednesday, said Brijesh Kumar Rai, DIG (Western range).

Seeing the police team moving towards them, Beyas Lakhua opened fire on the police personnel. In retaliation, the police team opened fire, in which Lakhua was injured. Several cases have been registered against the two criminals in Jharkhand and Odisha. While there are four cases against Bayesh, three cases are pending against Amit, police said.

However, more cases of the two are being verified from different police stations in Jharkhand and Odisha. “We have been tracking them with intelligence input from our own sources and Jharkhand. IIC of Bisra got the information late in the night thatBeyas and Amit were seen in a white Scorpio SUV,” said Nitesh Wadhwani, Rourkela SP.

“Two police teams proceeded towards their location. Our team tried to stop them. Knowing that they cannot escape, they started firing at us. A total of four rounds were fired by us and one of the bullets hit him,” said Wadhwani. The bullet hit him just under the right knee. The injured criminal is undergoing treatment in a hospital in Rourkela, he said. Though Amit managed to escape from the spot in the cover of darkness, the police nabbed him after an hour of search, the SP said. Both Beyas and Amit belong to Jharkhand.

The police have seized one country-made 9 mm pistol and magazine, four empty cases, two mobile phones and the SUV.