Patna: A murder accused arrested by the STF and Patna police on Oct 24 was shot in the leg during a gunfight with police in Patna’s Bakhtiyarpur area on Sunday when he was taken to the spot to recover weapons allegedly used in a murder. The accused, 28-year-old Saurabh Singh of the Patrakar Nagar police station area in Kankarbagh, allegedly opened fire at the police team, following which SI Pooja Kumari of Ramakrishna Nagar police station fired in retaliation. Two pistols, two magazines and 14 live cartridges were recovered from the spot.The gunfight took place near the Namo Ganga Project on Kalyan Bigha Road under Bakhtiyarpur police station. Saurabh and two others, Samarth Sanjay Kumar and Dipanshu Mishra, were arrested on Oct 24 in connection with the murder of garage owner Anjani Kumar.SDPO-II of Barh Ayush Srivastava said Saurabh disclosed during interrogation that the weapons used in Anjani’s murder had been hidden near the Namo Ganga Project. “Based on the information, police teams from Ramakrishna Nagar and Bakhtiyarpur reached the location to recover the firearms,” he said.According to Srivastava, Saurabh led the police team to a bush where the weapons had been concealed and took out a loaded pistol. “He then fired at the police team. One of the bullets struck the bonnet of the Ramakrishna Nagar police vehicle near the headlight,” he said.“Following the attack, the police acted in self-defence as per the standard operating procedure. SI Pooja Kumari of Ramakrishna Nagar police station fired in retaliation, hitting the accused in his left leg below the knee,” Srivastava said.Police overpowered Saurabh and took him into custody. He was taken to a health facility in Bakhtiyarpur and later referred to PMCH in Patna. A woman police officer also sustained injuries during the firing and was sent to hospital.An FSL team examined the scene and documented evidence. Police are investigating Saurabh’s criminal background and the role of the other accused. Saurabh has two murder cases and two Arms Act cases registered against him.The case relates to the Sept 26 murder of garage owner Anjani in Bhupatipur, Ramakrishna Nagar. Anjani was returning home after closing his garage when armed assailants ambushed him and opened fire. He later died during treatment.
