Wanted criminal nabbed after crossfire in Karnal

Tribune News Service

Karnal, August 23

The police on Friday arrested a wanted criminal after crossfire near Jarifa Viran village on the outskirts of the city.

The accused was identified as Pawan Kumar of Samalkha in Panipat district. He received bullet injuries in the leg. He was undergoing treatment in the civil hospital here. He was stated to be out of danger.

As per the police, 17 FIRs of loot, murder and dacoity had been registered against him. He was serving life imprisonment for murder. He had been released on parole, but did not return to jail. He was main accused in two cases of loot at petrol pumps in Karnal last month. Two accomplices had been arrested last week, said SP Surinder Singh Bhoria.

On getting a tip-off that Pawan was heading towards the Kachwa road, a team put up barricades. When they signalled a motorcycle-borne man to stop, he took a U-turn, said the SP.

DSP Rajiv Kumar said the police chased him, but he fired at the police. The police fired a warning shot, but he did not stop. After some distance, his motorcycle skidded. When the police asked him to surrender, Pawan fired at the police again. The police fired in retaliation and he was shot at on the leg.

“A case under Section 307 of the IPC and the Arms Act was registered against him at the Sadar police station,” said the DSP.

The police recovered a countrymade pistol, two live cartridges and three empty cartridges from his possession. Pawan would be produced in court after he recovered, said the DSP.