A man accused of murdering a Patna garage owner was shot in the leg early on Sunday during a weapon-recovery operation in the Bakhtiyarpur area of Patna district, after he allegedly opened fire on a joint team of Patna Police and the Special Task Force (STF), police said.

Source: Patna Press

The accused, Saurabh Singh, had been arrested a day earlier along with two other suspects in the murder of Anjani Nandan Kumar, owner of Nandan Automobiles in the Ramkrishna Nagar area, who was shot dead on September 26 as he closed his garage, according to police.

Police said Singh was taken on Sunday morning to Kalyan Bigha Mor, near the road connecting the Bakhtiyarpur four-lane highway, to recover a pistol he had allegedly hidden in bushes near the Namo Gange project site. Police allege that he picked up the loaded weapon and fired at the team, with one bullet striking a police vehicle near its bonnet and headlight.

Source: Nation Press

Officers returned fire and Singh was hit in the left leg below the knee, police said. He was given first aid at the Bakhtiyarpur Primary Health Centre and later referred to a hospital in Patna, where he remains in police custody. Police said they recovered two firearms, two magazines and 14 live cartridges from the spot, and a forensic team was called to collect evidence.

Reports differed on whether any officer was hurt: Patna Press reported that Sub-Inspector Pooja Kumari of Ramkrishna Nagar police station, who police said fired the retaliatory shot, sustained injuries and was taken to hospital, while Nation Press reported, citing police, that no officer was injured. SDPO Ayush Srivastava confirmed that the accused allegedly fired on the team during the recovery operation, and authorities said they are examining how the accused was able to reach the hidden weapon while in custody.

The two other men arrested on October 24 were identified by police as Samarth Dubey of Munger district and Deepanshu Mishra of Khagaria district. Police said Singh faces two murder cases and two cases under the Arms Act, and that further legal proceedings and investigation are underway. All allegations against the accused are yet to be tested in court.