Suryaa National Desk: Three hardened criminals were killed in an encounter jointly carried out by the Patna Special Task Force and local police at Maner on the outskirts of Bihar capital Patna early Friday morning. The exchange of fire took place on the banks of the Ganga River at Sherpur under Maner police station limits after police raided a gang hiding in the area. Maner Station House Officer Rajneesh Kumar sustained a bullet injury to his hand during the firing.
The deceased have been identified as JP Yadav, Bablu Kumar, and Rajesh Sharma. They were the prime accused in the case involving the fatal shooting of Maner Primary Agriculture Credit Society Chairman Sanjeet Kumar on October 19. Police recovered two pistols, one country-made gun, and a large quantity of bullets from the encounter site.
Following the encounter, the bodies were shifted to the Danapur Sub-Divisional Hospital for post-mortem examinations. Upon learning of the incident, relatives of the deceased and local residents assembled at the hospital premises in large numbers, causing severe commotion and disrupting the duties of doctors and staff.
As the situation escalated, police resorted to a mild lathicharge to disperse the protesters. Authorities completely cleared the hospital premises and took control of the area to ensure the safety of patients and medical personnel. Heavy armed forces have been deployed across the surrounding areas of Maner and Danapur to bring the situation under control and prevent untoward incidents.
