ASI shot at by bootleggers in Patna raid

PATNA: An assistant sub-inspector and a liquor smuggler was shot when a police team chasing bootleggers came under their attack on railway tracks behind P & T Club near R-Block in Patna on Saturday morning.
The incident took place around 7 am when a patrolling team of Jakkanpur police station and two quick mobile constables reached the spot after receiving inputs that liquor smugglers were offloading at least 15 sacks of liquor from a train at R-block.
A police source said the ASI, 53-year-old Ashutosh Kumar Rai, was mercilessly thrashed by liquor smugglers using stones on the tracks. His blood-soaked cap and torn uniform with his badge found lying on the tracks after the incident.
The injured ASI was taken to the PMCH first from where he was shifted to a nearby private hospital. A bootlegger identified as Subodh Paswan (28), was also wounded in firing and was admitted to a private hospital at Saguna Mor.
“Rai has received severe head injuries. He had also received leg injuries. A pellet was found stuck inside his shoe,” a police officer said.
Police sources said Rai got trapped as he walks with a limp and was unarmed. They said smugglers lived in hutments just behind the club.
A tea stall owner Kumar Ranu said police had fired at least three rounds in self-defence while retreating after being pelted with stones by the smugglers. He showed two empty 9mm cartridges claiming to be those fired by the police.
However, Patna SSP Upendra Kumar Sharma denied any firing by the police. “All cartridges allotted to policemen involved in the incident were accounted for,” he said.
He said two accused have been arrested and an FIR registered with the Jakkanpur police station.
The SSP said that the injured liquor smuggler seems to have been mistakenly shot by his associates during the clash.
“The ASI was shot in one of his foot. Pellet was recovered from the shoe. Subodh received gunshot injury in the abdomen. The bullet pierced through his abdomen sideways,” Sharma said.
He said there are at least 14 cases of liquor smuggling and recovery registered against Subodh, his brothers and mother Jasmati Devi with the Secretariat and neighbouring police stations. “They have been jailed on multiple occasions. Subodh is charge-sheeted in a smuggling case,” the SSP said.