Two wanted criminals were nabbed in an encounter by a team of the Marsaghai police and a special squad in the district on Friday night.
The duo was identified as Anant Prasad Jena alias Bhelu and Prabhat Nayak alias Mituna, who are prime accused in the case of brutal murder of medicine store owner Gagan Sahoo (25) on September 18, 2019. Sahoo was shot dead near Hatia village in the Marshaghai area over suspected business rivalry.
Police sources said 11 miscreants were involved in Sahoo’s murder. While the prime accused Bhelu and Mituna had gone underground, the nine other accused were earlier arrested in different phases.
Acting on inputs that Bhelu and Mituna were trying to escape, a trap was laid by the police team. Spotting the cops, Bhelu opened fire at the police team. But he sustained bullet injuries in both his legs while his associate Mituna sustained gunshot wounds in a leg after the police retaliated.
Bhelu and Mituna were admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital. Police said that over 10 cases are pending against both at different police stations while further investigation in this connection was on.