A notorious criminal in Odisha was killed when escorting security personnel opened fire on him while he was allegedly trying to escape in Balasore district on Saturday.
The gangster Seikh Haider, who was serving life imprisonment, was being shifted from Choudwar Circle Jail, Cuttack to another jail in Baripada.
According to police, Haider sought permission to answer nature’s call around 3.20 p.m. While getting off from the police van, he snatched the rifle of a security person and tried to flee. He was immediately fired upon.
“From a security point of view, Haider was being shifted from Choudwar jail to Baripada jail. An escort team of Cuttack police comprising an Inspector of Police, a Sub-Inspector and a section of force were taking him to Baripada,” said Saumendra Priyadarshi, Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
Mr. Priyadarshi added, “He requested the escort team to get off from the bus to attend to nature’s call at Simulia. However, he tried to escape from the spot by snatching a gun from one of the escort personnel. To prevent him from fleeing, he was fired upon in a controlled manner. He sustained bullet injury in his stomach. He was immediately rushed to Balasore District Headquarter Hospital.”
At the Balasore hospital, Additional District Medical Officer Mrutyunjay Mishra said, “Haider was brought to the hospital in a critical condition. When doctors rushed to attend him, he was already in gasping stage. He was declared dead within four minutes.”
Earlier, in April, the Odisha Police had faced an embarrassing situation when Haider managed to escape from the SCB Medical College Hospital, Cuttack after drugging a constable deployed outside his cabin. Six constables were guarding him in four-hour shifts.
He was later apprehended from Telangana.
Haider was convicted in a number of murders, kidnapping and extortion cases. Before he entered the world of crime, in the 1990s, he used to be rickshaw puller. Gradually, he expanded his crime syndicate and amassed huge ill-gotten money, mostly from extortion and tender fixing.
