Criminal with Rs 70k bounty held after police encounter

Alwar: Pahadi police of Deeg district arrested a criminal Saddam Khan, carrying a reward of Rs 70,000, following an encounter in which around 20 rounds were fired from both sides late at night Wednesday.Police said the accused was shot in the leg during retaliatory firing, while a bullet also struck the bulletproof jacket of a constable. Deeg superintendent of police Sharan Gopinath Kamble said that acting on a tip-off that Khan was travelling in a numberless motorcycle from Dhimri village towards Ghatmika village, a blockade was set up. Kamble said, at about 2.05am, Khan reached Dhimri Chauraha and police signalled him to stop. On spotting police, he attempted to flee by turning the motorcycle around and opened fire. He then hid in a canal along the road and continued firing at the police, he said. During the exchange, a bullet hit the bulletproof jacket of constable Netram. Netram engaged the accused and the police returned fire, during which Khan was shot in the leg. He was then apprehended. Police said a 315-bore katta and 10 cartridges were recovered from the accused, and the motorcycle was seized. He was taken to Pahadi Hospital for treatment and later referred to RBM Hospital in Bharatpur. Police said Khan is accused of murdering a home guard jawan in Dausa and of firing at Alwar police. He had been absconding since 2017, and around 23 cases related to firing on police and cow smuggling are registered against him.