Gangster Aman Sahu killed in encounter during bid to escape custody in Jharkhand: police

According to the police, the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Jharkhand, was taking Sahu from Raipur Central Jail to the NIA court in Ranchi, before ultimately taking him to Hotwar Central Jail in Jharkhand’s capital.

However, at around 9:30 am, when they reached the jungle area in the Andhari Dhodha Valley at the border of Chainpur Police Station and Ramgarh Police Station, some of Sahu’s associates started firing at the police party and throwing bombs and explosives at the vehicle in a bid to free him from police custody, authorities claimed.

Amid the chaos, Sahu allegedly snatched a rifle from an ATS officer in the vehicle, got out and opened fire while attempting to escape. Police returned fire in self-defence and Sahu was killed, officers said.

“One ATS officer was also shot in the thigh during the encounter and is being treated at a nearby hospital,” the SP said.

A police officer said that Sahu’s associates managed to escape amid the encounter.

Sahu’s body was found holding an INSAS rifle, an officer said, adding that police found “empty shells, live cartridges, live bombs, and remnants of exploded bombs scattered around from the scene”.

Sahu had allegedly been involved in over a hundred criminal cases, including murder and extortion, and had been convicted in some of them, police said. Authorities also suspected that he had links to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

On Monday Jharkhand Director General of Police Anurag Gupta had said several criminal activities in the state were being planned from inside jails and had identified Aman Sahu as being among the key figures in this network.