"We retaliated in self-defence": Durg SP on police encounter of Gangster Amit Josh

Durg (Chhattisgarh), November 9 (ANI): A history-sheeter was killed in a police encounter on Friday in Chhattisgarh's Bhilai city after he opened fire at a crime branch team, the police said. Durg Superintendent of Police (SP) Jitendra Shukla said that the police personnel could have gotten injured because the absconding accused opened fire. The police only retaliated in self-defence, he added.
Gangster Amit Josh was absconding since June and was on the police's radar, officials said.
"It felt like that police personnel could have gotten hit (by the bullets fired by the accused). We are glad that it didn't happen. He (Amit Josh) was a vicious criminal. He has been absconding since June. It was around June 23 or 24 when the accused went absconding and since then he has been on our radar. We had the input that perhaps he has been in the city for the last two days," Durg SP Jitendra Shukla said.
"During checking in the evening, he was seen coming on the road and as soon as we tried to stop him, he fired two rounds from his pistol at our vehicle and after firing he ran away, then our team retaliated in which he was killed. The accused was not in a mood to surrender. He would have been alive if he hadn't taken a shot at the police. We only retaliated in (self) defence," SP Shukla said.
Gangster Josh was being trailed by the police after his criminal stint a few months ago and was killed in a quick operation carried out by the police. This comes after the police received information that the absconding accused Josh was in Bhilai.
The police crime branch team reached near Jayanti Stadium while trailing Josh who was seen riding a motorcycle with one of his associates. The absconding accused opened fire after spotting the police after which Crime Branch Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Hem Prakash Nayak indulged in retaliatory fire, officials said, adding that the accused was injured in the leg and chest during the operation.
SP Shukla said that Gangster Amit Josh had fired at two people four months ago in Sector 10's Globe Chowk after which he was absconding. "The police were engaged in tracking the accused. However, he was in hiding and changing places," the SP said.
The police were tipped off about his arrival in Bhilai two days ago, officials said, adding that the absconding accused died on the spot during an encounter. (ANI)