CUTTACK: Bikram Patra, a notorious criminal with activities spread across Cuttack, Khurda and Puri districts, on Monday managed to escape by opening fire on police during a raid in Gangeswargada village under Sadar Police limits.
Three of his gang members were, however, not so lucky and landed in police net. The exchange of fire has panicked the locals.
According to reports, a joint raid was conducted on the village by Balianta and Sadar police to nab Patra, who had allegedly jumped parole and is continuing with his criminal activities in Balianta and Sadar regions.
Patra, lodged in Puri jail in a murder case, had been let off on a 14-day parole recently. But he did not report back after lapse of the parole. He reorganised his criminal gang and again indulged in criminal activities in the region, police said.
In the recent days, he is alleged to have committed four or five incidents of snatching and dacoity in the villages under Balianta Police limits. He had apparently been organising money through the criminal activities for his bail surety.
On Monday, the joint police team was tipped off that the gang members had assembled in the village. When they zeroed in on Patra’s hideout, the criminal and his accomplices opened fire on the police. The police retaliated too. Several rounds of fire were exchanged between them but Patra managed to give police the slip. The rest three were, however, nabbed. Police seized five rounds of empty cartridges of the automatic pistol used by Patra.