A police constable was killed and another injured whenthree members of Raju Theth gang opened fire at the policemen in Nagaur district, Rajasthan Home Minister Gulah Chand Kataria told the state assembly today.
The accused armed with AK-47 rifle and pistols had escaped from Jaipur yesterday after their accomplice Shankar was arrested.
A Quick Response Team (QRT) of Nagaur police had stopped the SUV in which the gang members were travelling and they opened fire at the QRT team injuring constable Khuma Ram and Harendra.
"The injured were taken to Nagaur district hospital where they were given primary treatment and referred to MDM hospital in Jodhpur where Khuma Ram died during treatment," Kataria informed the assembly.
Khuma Ram died last night.
The minister said that the accused fired 35 rounds on the police team which also fired around 18-19 rounds.
'Taking advantage of the darkness of the night, they managed to escape and left the vehicle.
On a tip off, police had nabbed a wanted criminal Shankar yesterday in Mansarovar area whereas three others managed to escape.
Ammunition in large quantity, one knife, 7 mobile phones were seized from the vehicle and efforts are on to locate the accused, the minister said in the Zero Hour when the Leader of Opposition Rameshwar Dudi raised the issue and held the Home minister "responsible" for deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
Dudi said that the criminals escaped with his uncle's SUV on February 27 in Bikaner but police failed to stop the vehicle.
The minister said that it was the same vehicle and admitted that there might be some "carelessness" on part of the police to act on the incident of February 27 and said he will look into the matter.
Notorious criminal Raju Theth is the rivalof dreaded criminal Anadpal Singh who managed to escape from the custody of police when he was being taken back to high security jail in Ajmer from a court of Nagaur last year.
The minister said that the police have arrested 12 aides of Anandpal as well as those including a police commando who helped Anandpal to escape.
When the opposition members raised the issue of Anandpal, Kataria said that he was committed to finish the criminal gang and the state police was doing its job.
After the reply, the leader of opposition said that the minister's reply was not satisfactory and the Opposition Congress staged a walk-out.
(REOPENS DES 37)
During the Zero Hour, the Home minister said the government will consider to accord the status of Martyr to policeman killed in firing incidents.
The minister said that there is no provision so far but the government will consider if it receives any suggestion in this regard.
