The Assam police have gunned down a notorious criminal wanted for contract killing, car theft, drug trafficking, kidnapping and extortion.
Special Director-General of Police G.P. Singh said Bubu Konwar was killed in an exchange of fire with the police at Geleky in eastern Assam’s Sivasagar district on Wednesday. The 43-year-old “veteran criminal” succumbed to bullet injuries at a local hospital, Mr. Singh tweeted on June 23.
The incident happened after Konwar, who was on a companion’s scooter, fired at the police team while attempting to flee a checkpoint. A pistol was recovered from his possession.
Konwar was released on bail after the police in the adjoining Jorhat district arrested him in March for possessing 35 grams of suspected brown sugar. But he was more than just a petty drug dealer, police said.
Police records in various districts, mostly in eastern Assam, say 27 cases of vehicle theft, 16 cases under provisions of the Arms Act and seven murder cases were registered against him.
Konwar, however, had in 2016 claimed on TV that he had murdered 42 people on contract.
Police said he graduated to organised crimes after starting as a petty thief as a teenager.