The R.T. Nagar police on Monday opened fire at a 29-year-old habitual offender, Mardan Khan, who was on the run after allegedly stabbing a head constable while escaping from custody.
“He was absconding after the attack. We got a tip-off late Sunday night on his whereabouts and took him into custody. We then escorted him to the spot where he had hidden the knife. There, he once again attacked two constables with the same knife in an attempt to escape,” said a police officer. Constables Sridhar Murthy and Muttappa sustained injuries in the attack.
Khan allegedly started pelting stones at the police vehicle when Inspector Mithun Shilpi asked him to surrender. After giving him a warning and firing in the air, the inspector shot at his legs, said the police.
The injured policemen were taken to a private hospital while Khan was admitted to a government hospital.
Khan had stabbed Head Constable Nagaraj on Saturday while being escorted, along with another man, to the police station in an auto-rickshaw in connection with alleged harassment of passers-by. On the way, Khan took out a knife and stabbed the head constable. The two suspects leapt out of the moving auto and escaped, after which the police launched a seach for them.
According to the police, Khan is a habitual offender who is named in several criminal and assault cases, including attempt to murder, in R.T. Nagar and Hebbal police stations.
