RANCHI: Gangster Sujit Sinha was killed in a police encounter on Sunday night while being shifted from Sahibganj Jail to Dhanbad Jail. Sinha was considered one of Jharkhand's most notorious criminals, with multiple cases of murder, extortion, firing incidents, Arms Act violations, and organised crime registered against him.
According to officials, Sinha, who was lodged in Sahibganj Jail, was being transported to Dhanbad in a convoy of four police vehicles on Sunday. While travelling on the Sahibganj–Govindpur Highway, one of the escort vehicles reportedly suffered a flat tyre near a roadside hotel in Supaidih village under the Jamtara Police Station limits.
Police said that while Sinha was being shifted to another vehicle, he requested permission to use the restroom. As he stepped out, he allegedly snatched a rifle from a police personnel, opened fire, and attempted to escape. The escort team retaliated, during which Sinha sustained bullet injuries and was killed.
Following the incident, senior police officers, including Jamtara Superintendent of Police Shambhu Singh, rushed to the spot. Police have launched an investigation into the encounter and the circumstances leading to Sinha's death.
Despite being incarcerated, Sinha allegedly continued to run his gang, orchestrating extortion and other criminal activities from inside the prison.
According to police, Sinha's network extended across Dhanbad, Bokaro, Ramgarh, Ranchi, and several neighbouring districts. Investigators had long suspected that he was directing criminal operations from jail using mobile phones and his associates.
Police said that, considering the security threat and as part of an administrative decision, Sinha was being transferred from Sahibganj Jail to Dhanbad Jail when the incident occurred.