Alleged Gun Smuggler Tries to Escape from Police Custody in Assam, Killed

GUWAHATI: A suspected arms smuggler who was arrested in a joint operation by Border Security Force (BSF) and Assam Police in Karimganj district was killed in an encounter a few hours later while trying to escape.

The deceased, Nurul Islam, and another accused H Liang Khiyamon were arrested for carrying illegal arms while onboard the Silchar-Guwahati train at Assam's Badarpur. Islam was killed around midnight at the Marjatkandi area under Badarpur police station when he attempted to escape, police claimed.

Acting on a tip-off, BSF and Assam Police jointly recovered 5 pistols, including four 7.65 mm pistols and a pen pistol from 31-year-old Islam, a resident of Baraigram area of the Karimganj district and 22-year-old Khiyamon, a resident of Tuensang district in Nagaland, during a search of Silchar-Guwahati passenger train on Monday morning. The duo was arrested for smuggling arms, police said.

A police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Islam was taken to Marjatkandi area in Badarpur on Monday midnight for further investigation in the case but he tried to snatch a gun from a policeman and tried to escape.

Senior state police officers are yet to make any official comment on the purported encounter. One official aware of the developments said, "This happened when the police department attempted a raid at Marjatkandi area based on the information given by Nurul Islam. We are not sure if he was shot by police or by his own people because the area was dark. Though, no other police officer or any civilian were injured during this incident. Things are under investigation," he said.

After Islam and his accomplice were arrested on Monday, Karimganj deputy superintendent of police (DSP), D Sharma said the accused were coming from Nagaland's Dimapur.

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