Sambalpur police encounter leads to arrest of wanted criminal

A police encounter in the Sambalpur district of Odisha resulted in the injury and arrest of Mohammad Irfan, a criminal with over 24 reported cases including armed robbery, extortion, and drug trafficking.

During the early hours of Sunday, a patrolling team from the Sadar police station intercepted a motorcycle carrying Irfan and two associates, Md Arman and Deepak Kumar, near the Sudunga forest area. While police apprehended the two associates, Irfan allegedly opened fire with a country-made pistol while attempting to flee into the forest.

Police responded with two rounds in self-defense, striking Irfan in the left leg. He was transported to the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) for treatment. Authorities seized a firearm, ammunition, and the motorcycle used in the incident. A forensics team has been deployed to collect evidence from the scene.