KENDRAPARA: Gangster Usman Ali alias Tito’s close aide Sk Nadeem of Krishnanandapur village, involved in several cases, sustained bullet injury in an encounter with police at Arjunpur under Patkura police limits on Saturday.
It is the fifth such incident within three months in the district where close associates of Tito have been rounded up. Police had been looking for the 28-year-old criminal since long for his involvement in murder, extortion, tender fixing, robbery and theft cases.
Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Kendrapara, Rajiv Lochan Panda said acting on a tip-off, police conducted raid at Arjunpur village on Saturday. “When we tried to nab him, the bike-borne criminal opened fire at us. In retaliation, police opened fire at him and he suffered bullet injury on his left leg. Around 25 cases are pending against the injured criminal at different police stations in Kendrapara, Jajpur, Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur districts,” he said.
Nadeem was first admitted to District Headquarters Hospital and later shifted to SCBMCH in Cuttack. Police seized a revolver, two live bullets and a motorcycle from him, he added.
Earlier, police had arrested Tito’s close associates Bijaya Nayak, Litu Das, Ganesh Mallick and Sanjay Biswal from different places in the district.