Cuttack: CID-crime branch on Saturday nabbed gangster Syed Usman Ali alias Tito after an encounter at Chandikhol in Jajpur district.

Confirming it, deputy commissioner of police Akhileswar Singh said Tito had suffered bullet injury in his leg, but his condition was normal and he was in police custody. Singh, however, said the police had nothing to do with the arrest. "The special task force of the CID-crime branch had arrested him following an encounter," he said.

Tito of Kendrapara had formed his own gang, which started operating in Cuttack following the arrest of the Dhal Samant brothers and several of their associates, who were allegedly involved in numerous cases, including tender-fixing, murder, robbery and other crimes. Tito had been wanted in some of the cases and he had gone underground.

Acting on a tip-off, the Special Task Force team conducted raids at Dilarpur, where Tito was reported to be hiding. When the team closed in on Tito's hideout, he opened fire at them and tried to escape.

A member of the STF team fired at Tito and the bullet passed through one of his legs. He was immediately admitted at the nearest Badchana hospital. Later, he was shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital and had since been in police custody, crime branch sources said.