Motihari: A Special Task Force (STF) personnel was killed while two alleged criminals were shot dead during an encounter between police and armed suspects in Bihar’s Motihari district.
The gunfight took place around 2:30 am in Ramdihah village under the Chakia police station area. The martyred STF personnel has been identified as Shriram Yadav. The two accused killed in the encounter were identified as Kundan Thakur and Priyanshu Dubey, both residents of the Chakia police station area. Police said both had cases registered against them under the Arms Act.
According to officials, the operation began after the suspects allegedly called the Chakia police station’s additional station house officer late at night and issued threats. The call was reportedly made from a Nepal-based number. During the conversation, the callers allegedly introduced themselves and warned that they would demonstrate their “gundagardi” and claimed that the next news report would talk about the deaths of several police personnel in an encounter while criminals escaped.
Following the threatening call, police began tracing the number and soon located the suspects’ position. A joint team of local police and STF reached the identified location in Ramdihah village to conduct an operation.
Police officials said that when the team attempted to surround the suspects, Kundan Thakur and Priyanshu Dubey opened fire on the police personnel. The police retaliated, leading to an exchange of gunfire between the two sides for several minutes.
In the retaliatory action by the police, both suspects were shot and killed. However, some of their associates managed to escape from the spot.
During the exchange of fire, STF personnel Shriram Yadav sustained critical injuries. He was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, where doctors declared him dead. The news of his death triggered grief within the police department.
Senior police officials, including the DIG and the Motihari Superintendent of Police, reached the encounter site soon after the incident. A massive search operation has been launched in the surrounding areas to trace and arrest the absconding criminals.
Police have also tightened security across the Chakia region following the encounter. The bodies of the two accused were sent to the hospital for post-mortem examination.
Officials said further investigation is underway and a detailed disclosure of the entire sequence of events will be made after the inquiry is completed.
