Patna, April 4 A fierce encounter broke out between the police and criminals on Saturday in Bihar's Begusarai district, triggering a large scale security operation in the region.
The joint team eventually arrested four criminals, suspected of being involved in the jewellery shop loot case, which took place on Friday.
The incident took place at Narayan Chowk under the Mansurchak Police Station area, which lies along the border of Begusarai and Samastipur.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of notorious criminals inside a local hotel, a joint team of the Special Task Force (STF) and district police launched a raid.
As the police reached the spot, the criminals allegedly opened fire, prompting the police forces to retaliate.
In the ensuing exchange of fire, police managed to arrest four criminals.
According to initial reports, one accused sustained a bullet injury during the encounter but managed to escape.
A large-scale search operation is currently underway to trace the absconding suspects, with security forces combing nearby bushes and residential areas.
The operation is being led by Sadar Deputy Superintendent of Police Anand Pandey, with support from STF personnel and police teams from Bachhwara, Mansurchak, and Teghra police stations.
Police sources indicated that the criminals may be equipped with sophisticated weapons, leading to heightened security arrangements in the area.
Authorities have also urged local residents to stay away from the encounter site.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the criminals may be linked to a recent high-value robbery in Darbhanga, where nearly Rs 2 crore was looted on Friday.
Officials suspect that the gang involved in the robbery had taken shelter at the hotel in Begusarai.
The Bihar Police has been on high alert in recent days, intensifying operations against wanted criminals.
This encounter is being seen as part of that broader crackdown.
As of now, the priority remains to apprehend the injured and absconding accused.
The entire area around Narayan Chowk has been sealed, and intensive search operations are ongoing.
Police officials said that detailed information regarding the arrested individuals and any weapons recovered will be shared once the operation concludes.
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