Criminal hurt in encounter

CUTTACK:  A wanted criminal, Manoj Kumar Swain alias Manua, was injured in an encounter with police on the embankment of Mahanadi river here on Tuesday. Manua, a resident of Erasama in Jagatsinghpur district, was allegedly involved in the recent attack on city-based trader Damodar Bhawsinka. 

Cuttack DCP Akhilesvar Singh said acting on a tip-off regarding Manua’s hideout,  a team of Malgodown police raided a place behind Biswaguru Law College. As police approached him, Manua hurled a bomb at them injuring Malgodown IIC Rabi Narayan Bhanja, sub-inspector Sunil Yadav and havildar Gulam Mohammad. In order to warn the criminal, the injured IIC fired in the air, but the former did not pay any heed. “When Manua hurled another bomb, Bhanja fired injuring the criminal,” said Singh. The police then overpowered Manua and seized three live bombs from his possession. 

The DCP said Manua was involved in slitting the throat of Damodar, a sugar candy trader of Malgodown, after the latter refused to give in to his extortion demand on March 16. “The arrested criminal is involved in a number of cases,” Singh added.