An inter-state criminal involved in a series of ATM thefts was injured during a police encounter on the outskirts of Puri early Sunday morning. The 25-year-old Deepak Kumar, a resident of Nawada district, Bihar, was shot in the left leg after his associates opened fire on police during a routine patrol. Kumar has been admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bhubaneswar for treatment.
Kumar’s two associates, Deepak Kumar Pande (24) from Nawada, Bihar and Abhishek Kumar Singh (32) from Chatra district, Jharkhand, were also arrested at the scene. The trio is allegedly linked to at least 10 ATM thefts in Puri, along with two in Bhubaneswar, including thefts under the Lingaraj and Laxmisagar police stations. Just hours before the encounter, they had reportedly stolen money from an ATM in Puri.
Around 3 am, police conducting a night patrol noticed a Tata Harrier parked suspiciously on Puri bypass road near Kesura. Upon noticing the police, the criminals reportedly opened fire. In response, the officers fired back in a controlled manner, injuring Kumar. The trio was subsequently subdued and taken into custody.
Twin City Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh revealed that all three suspects were also wanted by Ranchi police for committing multiple crimes in the area. Lalpur police in Ranchi had registered a case against the group in January, and they are also wanted by Bihar police for involvement in two separate cases.
