Patna: A suspected robbery accused was injured in a police encounter in Patna late on Tuesday night after officers say he opened fire during an attempt to recover weapons linked to a jewellery store heist.
The man, identified by police as Dilip Kumar, was shot in the leg and taken to hospital for treatment. Senior Superintendent of Police for Patna, Kartikeya Sharma, said Kumar was among those involved in a robbery at a jewellery shop in the Ramkrishna Nagar area of Patna earlier this month.
According to police, a special investigation team had been formed after the incident in which gold and silver jewellery worth an estimated Rs 20 lakh was stolen. Investigators say a man named Udit was first detained during the probe and subsequently provided information about Kumar and another accused, Rohan. Both were later arrested and allegedly confessed to their involvement in the robbery.
Police said Kumar was also accused of assaulting the shop owner during the robbery, which took place on April 19, when a group of five to six men reportedly arrived on motorcycles, entered the shop, threatened staff at gunpoint, and overpowered the proprietor, Dhananjay Kumar. When he attempted to resist, he was assaulted before the group fled with valuables.
During questioning, the accused allegedly told investigators that the stolen items and weapons had been hidden at an agricultural field in the Beur area of Beur. A police team then took Kumar to the location to recover the concealed arms.
It was during this recovery operation that, according to police, Kumar attempted to escape custody and opened fire at officers. Police said they responded with retaliatory fire, during which Kumar was hit in the leg.
Sharma said a country-made pistol, live cartridges, and spent shells were recovered from the scene. He added that further raids were underway to trace other members of the gang who remain absconding.
Police also said that the investigation suggested the stolen jewellery had been divided among the accused soon after the robbery and that efforts were continuing to recover the remaining items.
Officials described the incident as part of an ongoing investigation into organised theft in the region, though independent verification of the police account has not yet been made available. Kumar’s condition in hospital was not immediately confirmed beyond initial treatment for the gunshot injury.
