Patna, July 22 (IANS) In a major breakthrough in the Chandan Mishra murder case, a joint team of Bihar STF and Bhojpur police arrested three accused following an encounter in Bhojpur district on Tuesday.

The encounter took place around 5.45 a.m. near a river on the Bihiya-Kateya road under the Bihiya police station limits.

The police and STF, acting on intelligence inputs, surrounded the suspects linked to the Chandan Mishra murder case.

In response, the criminals opened fire, prompting retaliatory fire from the police.

Two of the criminals, Balwant Kumar (22, a resident of Liladharpur, Buxar) and Raviranjan Singh (20, from Chakrahi, Bhojpur), sustained bullet injuries during the exchange of fire.

Balwant suffered injuries to his hand and leg, while Raviranjan was shot in the thigh. The joint team has also seized two pistols, a country-made Katta, two magazines and some live cartridges. The entire area was cordoned off, and a heavy deployment of police was seen in the area.

Both injured accused were initially taken to Bihiya Hospital and later referred to a higher facility for treatment.

A total of three accused were arrested during the operation, Bhojpur ASP confirmed.

Sources revealed that leads obtained during the interrogation of the main accused, Mohammad Taushif alias Badshah, currently on a three-day police remand in Patna, led to the arrests in Bhojpur.

Gangster Chandan Mishra was killed in Patna’s Paras Hospital on July 17.

Patna Police had earlier stated that nine individuals were involved in the planning and execution of the murder.

With the three fresh arrests in Bhojpur, the total number of accused apprehended in the Chandan Mishra case has risen to seven.

Earlier, police had arrested Mohammad Taushif alias Badshah (main accused), Nishu Khan alias Bhaijaan, Harsh Kumar, and Bhim Kumar from Kolkata.

Now, Balwant Kumar and Raviranjan Singh (injured in the encounter), along with another suspect arrested on Tuesday, add to the police’s progress in the case.

The Bihar STF and Patna Police are intensifying their search for the remaining two absconding accused linked to the murder.

The police are also focusing on recovering the weapons and the motorcycle used in the crime.

The arrests are a significant step in dismantling the network behind Chandan Mishra’s murder, and further breakthroughs are expected based on information gathered during custodial interrogation.

–IANS

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