Accused shot at during fleeing bid
HT Correspondent
Related Posts:
JORHAT, Nov 27: The person who fired at an employee of a grocery wholesaler inside the shop near Marwari Thakurbari area at AT Road in the heart of the town here on Saturday night, was shot on his leg by police in the wee hours of Sunday on the outskirts here when the accused reportedly tried to snatch a weapon from a policeman while he was being taken to a place to nab his accomplice.
The miscreant, who entered the wholesale shop ‘Nawalchand Ramkishan’ around 10 pm on Saturday and shot an employee (Sushil Kumar Sharma) after not being able to collect money he demanded from Sharma at gunpoint, has been identified as Pranjal Bora alias Deha Bora of Sonarigaon of Nagaon district, a senior police official stated.
It may be mentioned here that Pranjal was nabbed by staff of the shop along with Sharma, who received injury in his left leg, and a person passing by the area who heard Sharma shouting after being hit by a bullet.
A pistol along with a machete from a bag Pranjal was carrying was recovered from the spot.
The police official said that during investigation the accused (Pranjal) revealed there was an accomplice with him, who was staying at Amguri in the adjoining Sivasagar district.
Subsequently he was being taken to apprehend the accomplice in the wee hours on Sunday when Pranjal in order to flee, reportedly attempted to snatch a pistol from a policeman who was among the team accompanying him.
The official said that to prevent Pranjal from fleeing, police had to shoot him and it was “control fire” below the knee of his left leg. The incident occurred near Teok Tea Estate on the eastern outskirts here.
Pranjal was brought to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) and is undergoing treatment. The official said that during investigation police discovered that Pranjal was earlier arrested in a motorbike lifting case in Sivasagar district and there was possibility of his involvement in other cases of crime.
The official also said that it has been found that Pranjal had been residing in rented houses at Golaghat and Sivasagar districts. The official said that the condition of the injured employee of the grocery wholesaler Sushil Kumar Sharma, who is undergoing treatment at JMCH was out of danger and his condition was stable.
It may be mentioned here that site of the incident was in the same locality where an AASU leader Animesh Bhuyan was lynched by a mob on November 29 last year.
On the night of November 22, 2022, three students of Jorhat Institute of Science and Technology (JIST), at Sotai outskirts here, near the institute under Lahdoigarh Police Outpost were stabbed by three persons in a vehicle and the three students were admitted to JMCH in a serious condition. Police later arrested three people, including a juvenile, in connection with the incident.
Meanwhile, in a statement the AASU state organising secretary Jitu Neog, who is the advisor of the Jorhat district unit of the students’ body, has expressed deep concern over the incident and condemned it.
Neog, while demanding that police take all necessary measures to provide security to the people, sought that those involved in Saturday’s incident along with those involved in attack on JIST students and on Animesh Bhuyan are meted severe punishment.
Fear has gripped the business community of the town over the shooting incident.
Meanwhile, Assam Police headquarters have given a cash award of Rs 50,000 each to the wholesale shop employee Anil Kumar Sharma and his colleague Anil Yadav for showing “exemplary courage and presence of mind” in apprehending the armed criminal Pranjal Bora.
A police official stated that both were awarded the cash prizes by senior district police officers and felicitated with a gamusa at the JMCH on Sunday.
