Khagaria, Dec 14 (UNI) Dreaded criminal Sattan Chaudhary and six members of his gang were killed in a fierce encounter with the police at Saraswa Bhahiyar village in this crime prone north Bihar district early today.

District Superintendent of Police Vineet Binayak told UNI here that being tipped off that the gang members had assembled in the remote village, about 50 km from the district headquarterts, a large posse of police rushed to the spot and surrounded the house where the criminals had taken refuge.

On being challenged, the criminals started firing indiscriminately The police retaliated and in the ensuing gunbattle all the seven gang members, including Sattan Chaudhary, were killed.

However, none in the police force was injured.

The criminals were wanted for long in connection with several cases of murder, loot, arson and dacoity in Nawada and neighbouring districts, the SP said adding that a huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from the deceased.

These included six rifles out of which two had been looted from the police earlier this year, three countrymade guns and several hundred rounds of live cartridges besides one mobile phone. Six horses in which the criminals came to the village, situated in an inhospitable terrain, were also seized.

Claiming this as one of the major successes of the Bihar police in eliminating dreaded criminal gangs in the state, Mr Binayak said the hour-long encounter also gunned down the largest number of miscreants in one place in recent times.

UNI