Notorious Bank Robber Injured in Police Encounter in Keonjhar Forest

Bhubaneswar: A notorious inter-state bank robbery suspect was injured during a police encounter in a forested area of Barbil in Odisha’s Keonjhar district, officials said.

The accused, identified as Sipu Kumar, was allegedly involved in the recent Bank of Maharashtra robbery case. Acting on intelligence inputs, police launched a special operation in the Tankra jungle along the Odisha–Jharkhand border, where Kumar had reportedly been hiding.

According to police sources, Kumar attempted to flee after spotting the security personnel. In the ensuing encounter, he sustained a bullet injury to his leg. He was immediately taken into custody and admitted to the Barbil hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment. His condition is reported to be critical.

The bank robbery took place a few days ago. While three of Kumar’s associates were arrested earlier, he had managed to escape and had been on the run since then.

Police records indicate that Kumar is a wanted criminal with multiple cases registered against him in several police stations across Odisha, Bihar, and Jharkhand. He hails from Pipara village in Patna district of Bihar and is believed to be part of an inter-state criminal network.

Further investigation into the robbery and Kumar’s alleged links to other crimes is underway.