Cuttack: Police have continued its crackdown on criminals and nabbed gangsters following eight encounters over six months.

On Wednesday night, police nabbed Gurucharan Patra after an encounter with the criminal. Patra had opened fire at the police team chasing him. The cops retaliated and nabbed him. One 7.65mm pistol, live ammunition and live bomb was recovered from him.

The police said Patra had gained notoriety in areas under Jagatpur and Salipur police stations and faced charges of attempt to murder, wrongful restraint, bombing, illegal use of firearms and other criminal offences.

Deputy commissioner of police, Cuttack, Akhileswar Singh said Patra, 32, of Chahapada was wanted for his involvement in a series of criminal offences.

A police official said that inspector-in-charge of Jagatpur police station Anil Kumar Beuria got information at around 9.10pm on Wednesday that Patra was moving around at Barbodia canal embankment with bombs.

Beuria promptly proceeded towards the spot with his special squad to apprehend him. When the police party almost cornered him, Patra started to run while hurling bombs at the police party. The bomb exploded near the police team, but the splinters did not hit anybody.

Seeing the cops undeterred in their attempt to nab him, Patra opened fire at the police team. The bullet missed Beuria by a whisker as went past his right ear, a police personnel said.

"When he was about to fire the second round, Beuria sensing danger to his life as well as other members of the team, opened fire from his service revolver. The bullet hit his right thigh," Singh said.

"Consequently, he fell down at the spot with the pistol. He was immediately shifted to SCB Medical College Hospital for treatment," he added.

On January 12, notorious criminal Soumya Ranjan Sahu wanted for his involvement in a series of criminal offences was nabbed after an encounter. Another notorious criminal Budhia Nayak was nabbed on January 5 following an encounter.

Last year, police had nabbed criminals Tapan Nayak on December 8, Pinaki Ranjan Barik on October 17, Kalandi Khuntia on September 25, Sk Rahul on September 5 and Ragunath Das on August 15. All the arrests were preceded by encounters.