Police, miscreants exchange fire at Bengal-Jharkhand border

Residents of Salanpur area in Asansol on Monday witnessed encounter between the police and three dreaded miscreants, who had entered the village crossing Jharkhand-West Bengal border.

Two were arrested by the police with the help of local people while one managed to flee.

One of the arrested later died but the police are yet to reveal the reason that led to his death. 

A police officer said that the police in Jharkhand had received information that the dreaded criminals, those were involved with murders and dacoity, had returned to Maithon.

Acting on a tip off, the police were waiting at a place in plainclothes and started chasing the criminals as soon as they came to the place on a motorbike. 

All three of them started moving towards the Jharkhand-West Bengal border.

They entered Salanpur and took shelter in an ashram in the forest area.

The inmates of the ashram asked them to move out as they had realised that they were carrying firearms. 

By that time the police including the officers-in-charge of Rupnaraynpur and Kalyaneswari police outposts had reached the spot and gheraoed the ashram.

Finding no other option, the miscreants opened firing. The policemen also retaliated and opened fire. 

Police later told that the miscreants had fired 12 bullets while the police fired 13. 

After around half an hour of encounter, the miscreants went out of bullets and had to stop firing.

They tried to flee when they had no more bullets in their stock.

But villagers and inmates of the ashram had understood that they were in a helpless situation and restricted two of the three from fleeing.

Though one of them managed to run away inside the forest, two were arrested and taken to the police station. 

The state police had also helped by sending a huge contingent of police and RAF. 

The miscreants had earlier received severe injuries when their motorbike skidded in front of the ashram.

Police suspect that one of the miscreants is hiding in the forest and combing operation has been initiated in search of the person. 

Sources said that the intelligence branch of the state police has initiated their task of gathering detailed information about the incident.