CHANDIGARH: Punjab's most wanted gangster Vicky Gounder was on Friday killed in a fierce encounter. In the operation, which happened in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district, Nabha jailbreak mastermind Prema Lahoria was also killed.

Gounder was known for being quite active on Facebook and in the past he had challenged claims made by the police on the social media website by posting updates reportedly from inside the jail. In the past he had uploaded photos and videos to claim credit for murders that he had ordered from behind bars too.

Two terrorists and four gangsters were freed by a dozen men in November 2016 when they arrived at Patiala's Nabha jail, disguised as policemen with two men in handcuffs. They fled with the six after a gunfight. Later it was found that they had help on the inside too.

In Friday's encounter a notorious criminal was injured while another was arrested, police said. Two policemen also suffered injuries in the action near Pakki village -- just 50 metres from Punjab border in Rajasthan.

Vicky Gounder's real name was Harjinder Bhullar alias Jinder, a resident of Sarawan Bodla village in former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's home turf Lambi.

One of the criminal who was part of the jailbreak conspiracy, Parwinder Singh Pinda, had told the police that the jailbreak was carried out to free Vicky Gounder and it was not their plan to free the two terrorists including Khalistani terrorist Harminder Singh Mintoo who was later arrested.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has lauded the state police for eliminating the notorious gangsters.