Suspected robber killed in police encounter in Assam’s Nagaon

A suspected robber was allegedly killed in a gunfight with police in Assam’s Nagaon district in the early hours of May 26 during an operation based on intelligence inputs, officials said.

Nagaon Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Partha Protim Das said police had received specific information about a group of suspected robbers allegedly planning another robbery in the district.

Acting on the input, a team from Nagaon Police Station launched an operation at Borkandali-Mikirpar village under the Rangaloo patrol post area.

According to police, five suspected robbers attempted to flee after spotting the police team. During the chase, one of the suspects allegedly opened fire on police personnel.

Police retaliated in what officials described as an exercise of lawful self-defence, injuring the suspect. He was taken to Nagaon Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

The deceased has been identified as Khairul Ali alias Moni, a resident of Thana Road in Lakhimpur town.

Police claimed Khairul Ali was the alleged mastermind behind the Marikolong robbery case last month, in which a doctor sustained serious injuries and her wife later died.

A 7.65 mm pistol and two empty cartridges were recovered from the encounter site, police said.

Officials further stated that the accused was allegedly involved in multiple robbery cases in Nagaon and Lakhimpur districts and had been under police surveillance for several months.