Varanasi: Two notorious thieves were arrested following police encounter in Azamgarh district early on Tuesday.Azamgarh CP Lalganj Bhupesh Pandey said that Tarva cops were busy in a checking drive near Bogaria Bazar area when informers alerted them regarding movement of thieves on Kanchanpur-Bogaria road with a stolen tractor and a pickup van. Acting promptly the cops cordoned off Bansgaon crossing and intensified checking drive after Monday midnight.After few hours, a pickup van and a tractor were spotted, when the cops signaled them to stop. However, drivers of both vehicles tried to dodge the cops. Police later nabbed one of them, identified as Amit Kumar alias Dhaasu of Ghazipur, and seized his pickup van, 6 sacks of grain and Rs 4,500 cash.However, the tractor driver stopped his vehicle at a distance and attempted to flee on foot. When the police started chasing him he started firing at them, said the CO adding that, in retaliatory firing by police, he suffered bullet injury in leg. The injured criminal was identified as Vinod alias Sintu of Ghazipur. After recovering a country-made pistol, cartridges and a tractor, police rushed him to hospital.On May 2, Vinod had fled after stealing the tractor of one Poonam Giri of Maulaanipur village under Tarva police station. After lodging a complaint, police had launched a search operation to nab him. Vinod confessed that he had an organised gang of thieves and the tractor he was driving was lifted from Giri’s place.Police said he was involved in many cases of theft in Varanasi, Prayagraj, Ghazipur, Deoria and other districts.
