Patna Police
By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Police in Bihar have continued their crackdown on criminals under the state government’s ongoing ‘Operation Langda’. On Tuesday morning, Patna Police carried out a “half-encounter” in the Gopalpur police station area of the capital, injuring a suspect involved in the ₹27 lakh cash van robbery.
During the operation, the police recovered part of the stolen money, expensive mobile phones, weapons, and other items used in the crime.
The encounter took place in Udayini village on the Patna–Masaurhi road. According to police officials, one of the accused was shot in the leg during the exchange of fire. He was taken to Nalanda Medical College Hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment.
The robbery had taken place on May 13, 2026 in broad daylight in the Gopalpur area of Patna. Armed criminals on motorcycles looted ₹27 lakh from a cash van belonging to a CMS company at around 3:30 pm on the Patna–Masaurhi road.
Following the incident, Senior Superintendent of Police Kartikeya K Sharma ordered the formation of a special team under the City Superintendent of Police (East) to identify and arrest the culprits at the earliest.
Police said that the suspects were identified through CCTV footage, after which raids were conducted at multiple locations over several days. Three accused—Suraj Pandey, Aditya, and Ravi Kumar—were arrested during this period.
During questioning, the police learnt about a fourth suspect, Nitish Kumar, who had been on the run since the robbery.
According to officials, the police received information about Nitish Kumar’s whereabouts on Monday night and reached the location to arrest him. On spotting the police, he attempted to flee and opened fire on the team. In response, the police acted in self-defence, during which he was shot in the leg and subsequently arrested.
SSP Kartikeya K Sharma said that ₹5 lakh in cash from the looted amount had been recovered from the accused. In addition, four iPhones purchased using the stolen money, the motorcycle used in the crime, a CMS company slip, clothes worn during the robbery, and the weapon used in the firing were also seized.
Police officials stated that scientific and technical investigation played a key role in solving the case. Further inquiries are underway to examine the criminal history of the accused.
The Patna Police have reiterated their commitment to controlling crime and warned that those involved in criminal activities will not be spared.
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