Motihari: Two notorious criminals and a Special Task Force (STF) jawan were killed in an encounter between the police and criminals at a house in Ramdiha village under the Chakiya police station area in East Champaran district around 2.30am on Tuesday. Two other criminals were arrested after the encounter and were being questioned by senior police officers. A large number of police personnel have been deployed in the village to maintain law and order.According to the police, the encounter took place after they received a tip-off that notorious criminals Kundan Kumar and Priyanshu Dubey were hiding in a house in the village with their associates and were planning to commit a crime. SP Swarn Prabhat formed a Special Task Force comprising local police personnel, who cordoned off the village and the specific house.As soon as the police launched the operation, the criminals allegedly opened indiscriminate fire on the police team. The police retaliated and the exchange of fire continued for around half an hour. During the encounter, STF jawan Sriram Kumar Yadav sustained serious gunshot injuries. He later died. Two criminals – Kundan Kumar and Priyanshu Dubey – were killed in the exchange of fire.Munna Kumar, SHO of Chakiya police station, said the police had received a threat call from Kundan Kumar a day earlier, allegedly made using a Nepali sim card. “He said you policemen are torturing with gunshot injuries to criminals so we challenge you that 10 to 15 policemen would be killed by us to take revenge,” the SHO said, adding that the police immediately informed senior officers and began tracing the location of the phone.DIG of Champaran range, Har Kishor Rai, and the SP reached the encounter site soon afterwards. The SP said that the police recovered one carbine, two pistols, three country-made pistols and a large quantity of live ammunition from the spot. Both officers inspected the site and ordered a detailed investigation.DIG Rai told this newspaper that the injured jawan was taken to Chakiya hospital, where doctors declared him dead. He said both criminals killed in the encounter had criminal records and were accused in half a dozen cases of loot, murder and offences under the Arms Act in different police stations of the district. Police suspect that four other suspects managed to escape during the encounter, and a search operation is underway to arrest them. Security has also been tightened along the India-Nepal border.Police sources said news of the death of STF jawan spread a wave of mourning in the district and among police personnel. He is survived by his wife, whom he married in 2018, and four children. The district administration and police personnel paid tributes to the slain jawan. The SP said he had made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty and assured that his family would receive every possible assistance. DM Saurabh Jorwal also met the family members and assured them of financial support.
