3 suspected robbers shot by cops in Kokrajhar dist

GUWAHATI: Three suspected dacoits were shot dead by police as they had tried to rob a bank in lower Assam’s Kokrajhar district in the wee hours of Sunday, police said.
The incident took place at around 2.30am when police intercepted an auto-rickshaw and a motorcycle at Bhotgaon about 6 km south from Kokrajhar town.
Narrating the incident at a press conference here, special director general of police (DGP) LR Bishnoi said police had intelligent input that a gang of dacoits comprising of about six members was planning to rob a bank at Bhotgaon.
“As per our information, an amount of around Rs 30 lakh cash was in the bank. Accordingly, nakas were set up at four different locations in Bhotgaon,” the senior police officer said.
He said the dacoits — who were travelling with different materials normally used in robbery — violated the police signal at a naka and tried to flee.
“They opened fire at the police party. In retaliation by police, three of them sustained bullet injuries and the other three managed to flee. The injured were rushed to the RNB Civil Hospital for medical assistance. However, they succumbed to the injuries,” Bishnoi said.
The accused have been identified as Siraj Doulah Sheikh (26) of South Salmara Mankachar district, Aminul Sheikh (28) of Goalpara district and Manirul Hussain (27) of Goalpara.
Police recovered two 7.65mm pistols with magazines, eight rounds live ammunition, one 25 litre oxygen cylinder, one domestic LPG cylinder, 30 ft rubber pipe used in cylinders, 15 metre of aluminum wire, one gas cutter, one machete, three mobile phones and few other objectionable items from the incident spot.
“The dacoits of the adjacent districts — Dhubri, South Salamara Mankachar and Goalpara — have now planned to commit dacoity in the BTR. Police have been keeping strict vigil across BTR to prevent such crimes being committed by these criminal elements,” Bishnoi said.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma lauded the efforts of the police in preventing the bank robbery at Bhotgaon.
“Assam has to be crime-free. Murder, violence, hatred have to be eliminated from the state. And we will continue working till we achieve our goal,” he said.