The Commissionerate police arrested notorious criminal Sushant Majhi after an encounter in the K7 area at Kalinga Nagar under the Khandagiri police station in the city in the wee hours of Thursday.
Majhi, a resident of Hatabasta in Nayagarh district, was on his way to the State capital for committing a dacoity when a police team, acting on a tipoff about the loot plan, intercepted him in the K7 area.
In a bid to escape arrest, Majhi opened fire at the cops but sustained gunshot injuries in his left leg after the police team fired back at him in retaliation.
He was taken to the Capital Hospital here and later shifted to the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack after his condition deteriorated. The police seized a 9mm pistol, a bike and a mobile phone from his possession.
Majhi had been wanted in several cases of murder and loot in Khordha district. He was also involved in the dacoity of Rs 60 lakh from a bank in the Tangi area recently.
Locals of the area have welcomed the encounter by the Commissionerate police. They said the area had become as hub of antisocial elements. The encounter would act as a deterrent for other criminals, who virtually triggered terror in the area due to lax patrolling by the local police.