Two Accused Injured in Police Encounter, Arrested in Tofan Bindhani Murder Case

Rourkela: Police achieved a major breakthrough in the investigation into the murder of Tofan Bindhani after two key accused were injured in an encounter and subsequently arrested during a late-night operation on Saturday.

The incident took place in the Jhirpani police station area, where police teams launched a raid based on intelligence inputs regarding the whereabouts of the suspects. The arrested accused have been identified as Chhunu Harippa and Sushant Nayak. Both sustained bullet injuries to their legs during the operation and were taken into custody.

According to police, the accused allegedly opened fire at the raiding team when officers attempted to apprehend them. In response, police retaliated in self-defence, leading to the injury and arrest of the two suspects.

The arrests are linked to the murder of Tofan Bindhani, who was allegedly attacked by a group of 15 to 20 youths near Narayanapalli under the Sector-7 police station limits last Tuesday. The brutal killing had triggered widespread outrage, with local residents staging protests and demanding swift action against those responsible.

Following the incident, Rourkela Superintendent of Police Nitesh Wadhwani constituted four special teams headed by DSP Manoranjan Pradhan to track down the accused and expedite the investigation.

During the encounter operation, police recovered a pistol from the possession of the arrested suspects. Efforts are underway to trace and apprehend the remaining accused involved in the case, with raids continuing at several locations.

The investigation is ongoing, and police expect further arrests in the coming days.