Was the Bihar temple theft suspect injured in a police encounter?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Suspect wounded during police encounter while attempting to flee.
- Theft items recovered include parts of the temple crown.
- Ongoing raids aim to apprehend remaining suspects.
- Suspect's confession reveals extensive information about the crime gang.
- Law enforcement expresses confidence in resolving the case swiftly.
Patna, Dec 27 (NationPress) A suspect in the Bihar temple theft incident was injured during a confrontation with law enforcement and subsequently apprehended on Saturday.
The crown of the Thawe Bhawani Temple in Gopalganj, Bihar, was retrieved from the suspect.
As per Gopalganj Superintendent of Police Awadhesh Dixit, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was established under the guidance of the Sadar SDPO after receiving a tip-off about a member of the Deepak Rai gang, linked to the temple theft, arriving in Gopalganj with the stolen valuables.
Upon receiving this information, the SIT executed a raid in the vicinity of Riki Tola within the Thawe police station jurisdiction.
"During the operation, one of the suspects fired at the police team. The police initially issued a warning, but when the shooting persisted, they retaliated in self-defense," Dixit stated.
In the confrontation, the suspect, Ismail Alam, sustained a gunshot wound to his leg and was captured.
He was promptly taken into custody and given medical care.
Authorities reported that the suspect is from the Ghazipur–Motihari area and was residing in the Shahpur police station region at the time.
During the search, police seized crucial components of the crown of Goddess Thawe Bhawani, a mobile phone utilized in the crime, and other incriminating materials from the scene.
SP Awadhesh Dixit mentioned that during questioning, the suspect confessed to his role in the theft and provided extensive details about the gang's activities, including the execution of the crime, participants involved, locations of the stolen jewelry, and the current possessors of the remaining items.
Additionally, police confirmed that Alam was captured on CCTV footage alongside gang leader Deepak Rai as they entered the temple and committed the theft.
In light of this development, ongoing raids are being conducted to apprehend other suspects.
Law enforcement officials are optimistic that the entire theft case will be resolved shortly.