Patna, May 13 (IANS): Two notorious criminals with multiple serious cases registered against them across several districts were shot in their legs and arrested following a predawn encounter near the Anandpur embankment under the Bihta police station jurisdiction in Patna, Bihar, on Wednesday. The individuals, identified as Awadhesh Saw alias Videshiya and Pappu Rai, are known sharpshooters with criminal records including murder and robbery, and were also linked to the Anjani Singh murder case under the Gaurichak police station limits. The exchange of fire erupted at around 2:30 a.m. after a joint team of the Special Task Force (STF) and local police, acting on intelligence inputs about the criminals’ presence in the area and their plan to execute a major crime, cordoned off the location and asked the accused to surrender. According to Patna SSP Kartikeya Sharma, the accused opened fire on the police team during the recovery of weapons hidden at an isolated location, following which police retaliated in self-defence, shooting both criminals in the legs before apprehending them. Two police personnel sustained minor injuries during the exchange of fire, while the arrested criminals were initially treated at the government hospital in Bihta before being referred to AIIMS Patna for advanced treatment.
A country-made pistol and a standard pistol were recovered from the spot following the encounter. SSP Sharma further revealed that a third accomplice, Deepak Kumar, had already surrendered earlier. The arrests are part of a statewide crackdown being run by the Bihar Police against wanted criminals, under which intensified raids are being conducted across the state to apprehend offenders. In cases where criminals attempt to flee or attack police teams, forces retaliate in self-defence by targeting the legs to immobilise them – a method that has been informally referred to as “Operation Langda.” The encounter underscores the ongoing effort by Bihar Police to dismantle criminal networks operating across multiple districts in the state.