Amingaon (Kamrup), July 7: Two well known criminals accused in several cases were shot on leg while they were trying to escape during an ongoing operation against cattle smugglers at Kamrup district in western Assam on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday.
The two — Zakir Ali and Fazal Haque — are accused of several crimes such as cattle smuggling, car lifting, robbing, ATM lifting, etc. in Kamrup and neighbouring districts.
Police said they were on their way to raid at Ramdia, about 20 km from district headquarters at Amingaon, based on Haque’s input about another well known and hardcore criminal Saidul Ali when the duo attempted to escape.
“One of the accused requested to answer nature’s call due to which the vehicle was stopped near sosantoli, ramdiya road. But instead, both the accused tried to over power the police guard and escape. The area is in interiors and surrounded by open paddy fields. Hence, after several warnings, to stop them two rounds of AK and five rounds of pistol had to be fired, in which both the accused have suffered injury in their legs,” police said.
Both were immediately taken to a nearby hospital and then to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital for better treatment.
While Zakir was picked up from Saniadi, about 25 km from District headquarters Amingaon, based on his inputs, Fazal was arrested from Hablakha, about 32 km from Amingaon.
Zakir is accused of cow smuggling, robbing, car and ATM lifting and has been in and out of jail in connection to cases in Hajo, Kaya and Rangiya police station besides other ps of neighbouring districts.
Fazal, on the other hand, is involved in dacoity and ATM lifting in Roing, Arunachal Pradesh, robbing GNRC hospital in Gouripur and in dacoity and firing incident in Kamalpur Bandhan bank.
“Investigation and operation is still on for apprehension of Dacoit Saidul,” police said.
According to police records, including these two, 13 persons have been injured and one died in firing by the police since 1 June. While 5 alleged cattle thieves sustained injuries in a police shootout, seven others – two men accused of rape, two men arrested for drug peddling and one arrested for abduction – were injured when police fired at them for allegedly trying to escape from custody. One Kanwaldeep Singh Sidhu, arrested for an abduction case, died after police shot at him when, according to them, Sidhu tried to escape by snatching police officer’s service pisot.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had on Monday said such shooting becomes necessary when accused attempts to escape and that it is okay as long as police shoots on their legs.
