Robbery accused held after gunfight with cops

Patna: Patna police arrested a criminal accused in the recent CMS security van robbery after he was injured in an exchange of fire in Udayani village under Gopalpur police station area.The accused, Nitish Kumar, allegedly opened fire while trying to escape during a police raid conducted on the basis of specific intelligence inputs. Police retaliated in self-defence, injuring him in the leg before taking him into custody. He was later admitted to hospital for treatment.The operation was linked to the armed robbery of a CMS security van near Jol Bigha under Gopalpur police station on May 13. Armed criminals had intercepted the van in broad daylight, held security guards at gunpoint and looted around Rs 27 lakh. The empty cash box was later recovered about 3 km away.Patna SSP Kartikeya K Sharma said police had identified all those involved in the robbery and launched raids at multiple locations. Three accused — Akash Ojha, Aditya Singh alias Sahil and Ravi Kumar — were arrested earlier from different places under Gopalpur police station limits.“The team tracked the fourth accused, Nitish, who was coming on a motorcycle in Udayani village. When he spotted the police, he abandoned his bike and tried to flee. He opened fire on the police team. In retaliation, police fired in self-defence,” Sharma said.Police recovered Rs 5 lakh in cash, four iPhones allegedly bought using the looted money, two firearms, the motorcycle used in the crime, helmets, clothes and the empty CMS cash box.The SSP said interrogation of the arrested accused was continuing and police were also probing allegations regarding the possible involvement of a CMS employee in the case.