West Bengal: Undertrial escapes police custody, shot dead in Uttar Dinajpur

  The incident happened when the prisoners were being taken from a court in Islampur to the central correctional home in Raiganj in a prison van escorted by policemen

PTI, 18.01.25 : An undertrial, who shot at policemen while escaping from custody three days ago, was killed in an encounter in West Bengal's Uttar Dinajpur district early on Saturday, a senior officer said.

Sajjak Alam was shot dead by police personnel during a shootout at Kichaktala in Goalpokhar in the district, he said.

"Acting on a tip-off that he was hiding in Kichaktala area, we conducted a raid there. At that time, the accused started firing at police personnel and our team retaliated. Alam was injured. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he died," the officer told PTI.

Two policemen in Uttar Dinajpur's Raiganj were injured on Wednesday when Alam and another undertrial allegedly overpowered them, snatched their service revolvers, and shot at them before fleeing.

The incident happened when the prisoners were being taken from a court in Islampur to the central correctional home in Raiganj in a prison van escorted by policemen.

"The prime accused in the January 15 incident was trying to flee to Bangladesh. We are trying to find out those who were helping him," the officer said.

Alam was also the prime accused in a 2019 murder case that took place in Karandighi in Uttar Dinajpur district.

An accused, who shot at a police van while being taken back to jail from the court in the Goalpokhar area in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district recently, was killed in an encounter with police on Saturday.

Sources in the Police Department said that accused Sajjak Alam was apprehended at Chopra in North Dinajpur district on Saturday morning while he was making preparations to escape to neighbouring Bangladesh.

As the investigating cops apprehended him, Alam made a desperate attempt to escape following which the cops had to fire at him.

Alam, who sustained three bullet wounds, fell to the ground. The cops immediately shifted him to a local hospital.

The treatment also started but he succumbed to the bullet wounds around 8 a.m. It is learnt that Alam was already an accused in a murder case.

On January 15, while he was being brought back from a district court at Islampur in North Dinajpur district to a correctional home at Raiganj in the same district, Alam suddenly opened fire at the escorting cops.

Taking advantage of the severe injuries received by two escorting cops namely Nilkanata Sarkar and Deben Baishya, Alam escaped from the scene and remained absconding since then.

However, at that time, questions were being raised as to how Alam, as an under-trial criminal, got access to the firearm. State police insiders said that one associate of Alam, Abdul Sheikh is still absconding and the cops have started a massive manhunt to track him.

Incidentally, on Friday evening, Director General of West Bengal Police Rajeev Kumar said: "We will give a fitting reply. We in the police forces provide safety to common people. But if anyone shoots at the forces, we will shoot back four times."