Patna, May 26 (IANS) A joint operation by the Bihar Special Task Force (STF) and Khagaria Police led to an encounter with a notorious criminal in the early hours of Tuesday in Sukhay Basa village under Beldaur police station limits, officials said.

Police said the incident took place around 2 a.m. when a joint STF and district police team was conducting raids in search of wanted criminals. During the operation, the team came face-to-face with Mohammad Buddin, following which an exchange of fire broke out between the police and the accused.

Mohammad Buddin sustained injuries during the encounter and was immediately shifted to the Khagaria Sadar Hospital for treatment under heavy police security.

Police said that more than 15 criminal cases, including murder, robbery, extortion, and arms-related offences, are registered against him at multiple police stations, including Beldaur and Pasraha.

Officials stated that he had long been on the police radar and had managed to evade arrest on several previous occasions.

Authorities also revealed that Mohammad Buddin had earlier carried a bounty of Rs 50,000 due to his alleged involvement in serious criminal activities across the region.

Police believe his network had remained active in parts of Khagaria for a considerable period, posing a major challenge to law enforcement agencies.

The STF had received specific intelligence inputs that Buddin was hiding in the Beldaur area. Acting on the tip-off, the joint team launched a cordon-and-search operation, during which the encounter took place.

Following the incident, several senior district officials, including the Superintendent of Police, SDPOs from Sadar and Gogri subdivisions, inspectors, and a team from the Forensic Science Laboratory, reached the spot.

Police have also launched an extensive search operation in nearby areas to trace Buddin’s suspected accomplices. Raids are currently underway at multiple suspected hideouts, while investigators are trying to determine how many associates were present during the encounter and the direction in which they fled.

Security has been tightened at the hospital where the injured accused is undergoing treatment, with additional police personnel deployed inside and around the premises.

–IANS

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