BERHAMPUR: A wanted criminal Hadapa Siva was arrested following an encounter with Rayagada police on Monday.
He is wanted for allegedly kidnapping a youth Bibhuti Pujari eight days back. Bibhuti was rescued by Rayagada Police on November 22 but while six of Siva’s accomplices including three juveniles were arrested, he had managed to escape.
Following a tip-off in the morning, police raided a place near Shankesh village. On seeing them, Siva opened fire injuring sub-inspector R Kindo and havildar Dilip Hota. When police retaliated, Siva received bullet injuries on his leg.
Police overpowered him and in the melee, he also sustained head injuries. He was admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Rayagada town and later shifted to MKCG MCH in Berhampur.
Police said as many as 50 criminal cases are pending against Siva in different police stations of the district.
He had planned the kidnapping of Bibhuti, who was travelling from Visakhapatnam to Titlagarh in the Dhanbad-Alleppy train on November 19. On way, five criminals abducted him from the train and alighted at Lada railway station. They took him to a mango orchard on the outskirts of Rayagada town where they were joined by Siva and five others.
They contacted his father Panchanan Pujari of Subarnapur and threatened him of killing Bibhuti if he did not cough up ransom of Rs 10 lakh. Pujari informed Rayagada SP Saravana Vivek M who formed a special squad that traced Bibhuti and arrested six criminals within 48 hours.
Their interrogation revealed involvement of Siva, who had fled the spot. While three were identified as Sundhi Prakash, G Surendra and Sundhi Suraj, all belonging to Rayagada, the rest three are juveniles.
Sharp weapons, iron roads and a pistol were seized from them.
Police said a manhunt has been launched to arrest the other accused in the case.