In second escape attempt, Odisha gangster serving life sentence killed in encounter

The police said the episode took place at around 3:20 pm, near Simulia in Balasore district, when Hyder sought permission to relieve himself and exited the police vehicle.

He later died in a Balasore hospital.

“He snatched the weapons of the escort guard and, despite being given a warning, threatened the guards and attempted to flee. Our sub-inspector on duty there fired at him in a controlled manner to prevent him from escaping from custody. He was injured in the firing. He sustained a bullet injury on his stomach. He was immediately shifted to a hospital in Balasore for treatment,” Deputy Commissioner of Police, Cuttack, Prateek Singh told media persons.

Commissioner of Police (Bhubaneswar-Cuttack) SK Priyadarshi told The Indian Express: “As per protocol, DCP Cuttack had to provide escort for the transfer from one jail to another since the source falls under his jurisdiction. A team of nine policemen led by a sub-inspector were given the charge.”

“He was taken to the hospital for treatment by our team after he sustained injuries but at around 6:30 pm the Chief District Medical Officer of Balasore informed us that he had succumbed to his injuries. We have asked for a report and are also waiting for the post mortem report, but as per preliminary information that we have, he had sustained two bullet injuries,” Priyadarshi added. The post-mortem examination will be conducted at the Balasore district headquarters hospital on Sunday.

Hyder had over 15 cases lodged against him — seven were in Kendrapara and the rest were in Bhubaneswar and Puri districts. The charges include murder, attempt to murder, extortion, and loot, among others. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2011 for the killing of SK Chuna, the brother of his arch rival Suleiman, in Kendrapara in 2005.

According to police sources, Choudwar jail authorities had made multiple complaints over Hyder’s behaviour. “He was a mischievous gangster and at every jail he would tend to bond with other jail inmates and create a nuisance. We had inputs that he was networking with these criminals out on bail or released from jail. To stop this chain, it was decided to move him to another jail. Earlier too he had been shifted to Sambalpur jail and Bolangir jail,” a senior police official said.

After his escape in April from SCB Medical College in Cuttack, the state police, including forces from as many as four districts, launched a massive manhunt and nabbed him in Telangana.