JAIPUR: A 27-year-old gangster linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was shot and injured in a police encounter during a pre-dawn chase in Sriganganagar Thursday after he allegedly opened fire on a police team at a highway blockade.Sriganganagar SP Hari Shankar told TOI that the accused, identified as Sanjeev alias Chaddar alias Sanju Bishnoi, a resident of Rohidawali in the district, is wanted in multiple cases and has been involved in serious cases.“The primary information indicated that the accused is an active member of the gang. He was involved in past shootings for extortion, and even Thursday he came with the same purpose,” Shankar said.Officials said around 10 criminal cases, including extortion, are registered against him across multiple police stations.The encounter unfolded around 3am on the Suratgarh bypass bridge under Sadar police station limits, where a team set up a blockade following specific intelligence inputs about suspicious movement in the area.As the accused approached the bridge on a motorcycle, he spotted the police barricade and tried to flee. When the police attempted to intercept him, he allegedly opened fire at the team, triggering a retaliatory response.In the exchange of fire, a bullet struck his right thigh, bringing him down on the road. Police immediately overpowered him and rushed him to the district hospital, where he is undergoing treatment.A heavy police presence was deployed around the hospital as a precaution.Investigators said the accused has a history of violent crimes. In Jan 2022, he was allegedly involved in a firing outside Tantia Hospital at Sukhadia Circle, carried out on the directions of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s cousin Sachin Thapan as part of an extortion bid.He was also linked to another firing incident at a businessman’s house on the Sriganganagar-Hanumangarh highway, where shots were fired to demand ransom.Police said further investigation is underway.
