Nagaon, May 26: A suspected robber was allegedly killed in a gunfight with the police in Assam’s Nagaon district in the early hours of Tuesday, officials said.
Nagaon SSP Partha Protim Das said police had received specific intelligence inputs about a group of robbers allegedly planning another heist in the district.
“Acting on the tip-off, a team from Nagaon police station launched an operation at Borkandali-Mikirpar village in the Rangaloo patrol post area,” he told reporters.
Five suspected robbers attempted to flee after spotting the police team. During the chase, one of the suspects allegedly opened fire on the personnel.
“In exercise of the lawful right of self-defence, police retaliated with controlled firing, injuring the suspect. He was immediately taken to Nagaon Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared him dead,” the SSP said.
The deceased was identified as Khairul Ali alias Moni, a resident of Thana Road in Lakhimpur town.
Police said he was the alleged mastermind behind last month’s Marikolong robbery case, in which a doctor was seriously injured, and her wife later succumbed to injuries.
A 7.65 mm pistol and two empty cartridges were recovered from the encounter site, they said.
Das said the accused was involved in several robbery cases in Nagaon and Lakhimpur districts and had been on the police radar for the past few months. (PTI)
