Surat: One of the main accused in the SBI bank robbery case was injured in a police encounter on Thursday after he allegedly opened fire on a Crime Branch team during a reconstruction exercise near Fursad village in Surat district.

The accused, identified as Shubham Thakur, was shot in the leg after ACP Kiran Modi retaliated in self-defense, police said. He was later taken to the Civil Hospital under police protection for treatment.

According to officials, the Crime Branch had taken accused Shubham and Vikas, both currently on seven-day police remand, to Kanyasi village as part of the investigation into the robbery at the SBI Lambe Hanuman Road branch.

During interrogation, Shubham allegedly revealed that he had hidden the pistol and mobile phone used in the robbery near a farm in the area. While police were attempting to recover the items near a creek, the accused allegedly snatched a pistol from a police personnel and opened fire on the Crime Branch team.

Police said ACP Kiran Modi returned fire in self-defense, injuring Shubham in the leg and preventing his escape. Further investigation into the incident is underway.

Meanwhile, teams of Surat Police are conducting investigations in different states to trace and arrest five other absconding accused connected to the case. DeshGujarat