Patna, Aug. 14: A day after Bihar police arrested dreaded Sheikhpura gangster Ashok Mahto from Jharkhand, the gang led by kidnapper Bansi Yadav was engaged in an encounter in West Champaran district today and at least two of his accomplices were shot dead.
Police said Bansi, Hari and Birjan Yadav, who sustained serious injuries in the exchange of fire, managed to escape but the prospects of their arrest were not ruled out as a team was in their pursuit.
The encounter took place in the inaccessible riverine belt of Chaumukha Diara under Jogapatti police station, around 25 km from Bettiah, the districts headquarters of West Champaran.
Personnel of the Special Auxiliary Police, led by district superintendent of police B.S. Meena, were at the forefront of the operation against the Bansi gang, whose members fired several rounds.
The two slain persons were identified as Suresh Gond and Madho, trusted lieutenants of Bansi. The sister-in-law of Suresh was recently elected a local mukhia in the panchayat polls. Police recovered two guns and 70 rounds of ammunition from the encounter spot, not far from the Gandak river.
The police superintendent said Bansi suffered “definite injuries” in the exchange and he could be receiving treatment from a local quack. “We are confident of locating him,” he added. Bansi had earlier run away twice from police custody and he carries a heavy reward on his head.
Meanwhile, a statement reportedly made by Ashok Mahto that some top leaders of the Janata Dal(United), including state party chief Lallan Singh, were in touch with him created a political furore in the state capital.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal and Lok Janshakti Party demanded a CBI probe into the claim, and also to find out if Mahto was “supported” by any other JD(U) politicians.
Dismissing the gangster’s claim, Lallan Singh said that it was at the chief minister’s directive that the state police launched a drive against Mahto and arrested him.
“I or Nitish Kumar don’t need a certificate from an arrested gangster. But it is for the people to understand why a hardened criminal like him could not be arrested all these years and why he could be arrested now,” the Dal(U) leader added.
