Jharsuguda police arrest criminal Bunty Prasad after forest encounter

A notorious criminal identified as Bunty Prasad was injured and arrested following a police encounter near the Ambadahara forest in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district on Monday morning.

According to police, Prasad, a resident of Hanuman Nagar, was being sought during a combing operation. Upon realizing he was surrounded, he allegedly opened fire at the police team in an attempt to flee. Officers responded with controlled retaliatory fire in self-defence, striking Prasad in the left leg. An illegal firearm was seized at the scene.

Prasad is reportedly facing approximately 17 criminal cases across the Jharsuguda, Brajrajnagar, and Orient police stations, including charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit dacoity, organized crime, and illegal firearms dealings. He was admitted to a local hospital for treatment and will be forwarded to court following the investigation. Jharsuguda Superintendent of Police Gundala Reddy Raghavendra stated that the department maintains a ‘zero-tolerance policy towards organised crime and the illegal arms trade’.