Bhubaneswar: History-sheeter Janmejaya Rout was injured in an encounter with police near Balianta on Wednesday night.

Rout and his associates were allegedly attempting to kidnap a youth from Badagada in a car when two friends of the victim intervened.

An altercation ensued among them and Rout and his associates assaulted the victim's friends with sharp-edged weapons, leaving them badly injured.

"Our team rushed to the spot upon getting the information. But by then, the miscreants had escaped from the spot, leaving the victim. But, we chased them and finally managed to nab four of them near Balianta. However, Rout attempted to gave us a slip and opened fire. In retaliation, we also fired and Rout got injured," said deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi.

He also said that two firearms had been seized from the accused.

Rout was rushed to the Capital Hospital with a bullet injury on his left leg, from where he was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. "A number of kidnapping and attempt-to-murder cases are pending against Rout. We are verifying his antecedents," added Bhoi.

On Tuesday, two notorious criminals - Harihar Samal and Sushant Sahoo - also suffered bullet injuries during an exchange of fire with the cops.

The police said both the criminals were involved in number of cases of dacoity and theft in twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar and the neighbouring districts.

The police have seized two pistols and six rounds of live ammunition from their possession.

The police suspect that a gang is involved in supplying firearms to criminals in the city.

"Most of the illegal firearms are smuggled from Munger in Bihar. Petty criminals are procuring illegal arms by paying anything between Rs 30,000 and Rs 50,000. We are trying to nab the gang that is supplying firearms to criminals in the twin cities," said another senior police officer.