An intense police operation in Kokrajhar district, Assam, on Sunday night, resulted in an encounter where a robber attempted to evade arrest and was injured when police opened fire.
The police operation followed a June 25 robbery when thieves looted over ₹34 lakhs from a money bag outside Axis Bank. The incident culminated in the apprehension of four suspects from the Chirang, Dhubri, and Kokrajhar districts.
During the operation, police tracked the stolen cash to Salakati Bedlangmary Tea Estate. Amir Hussain (38), a resident of Village No. 3 Bhandara Bijni Manikpur in Chirang district, attempted to evade arrest and was injured when police opened fire. He was quickly taken to Rupnath Brahma Civil Hospital in Kokrajhar for medical treatment.
Confirming the successful arrests, Director General of Police Assam, GP Singh, tweeted about the apprehension of the suspects and the recovery of ₹21.5 lakhs of the stolen money.
Kokrajhar's Superintendent of Police clarified the nature of the incident, stating it was not an encounter but a planned police operation to apprehend the criminals involved. According to the SP, the thieves had originally planned to execute the robbery on June 21 but postponed due to insufficient funds, eventually carrying out the crime on June 25.
Investigations have revealed the possible involvement of employees from a vendor company linked to the targeted funds. Currently, three suspects are reported to be evading capture outside the state.
Amir Hussain, identified as the alleged mastermind behind the robbery, was found in possession of ₹5 lakhs at the time of his arrest. The police continue efforts to recover the remaining stolen money.
