Constable, Two Militants Dead In Nalgonda Encounter

A police constable and two militants were killed in a fierce encounter at Janakipuram near the Mothkuru mandal of the Nalgonda district on Saturday morning.

Three other policemen were also injured in the incident.

On information that two persons, suspected to be the assailants who had killed the two policemen at Suryapet two days back, were taking shelter in a Dargah at Arvapally near Janakipuram, a police team rushed to the spot. On seeing the team, the militants tried to escape from the scene on a motorcycle.

They were chased by the police team, which repeatedly asked them to surrender. However, they tried to hide in the bushes and opened fire at the police personnel.

Consequently, constable Nagraj lost his life, while three other policemen, inspectors Bala Nagi Reddy and Gangaram and sub-inspector Siddaiah, were injured.

Nagi Reddy and Siddaiah, who were admitted to a private hospital, are said to be in a critical condition.

The militants have been identified as Akram Ayub and Zakeer, both natives of Uttar Pradesh. Earlier, on Wednesday, they had killed two policemen - constable M Lingaiah and home guard K Mahesh - at Suryapet, and also snatched away a sten carbine and two pistols. An inspector Moghlaiah was also injured in the shootout.

Several teams had been formed to nab the assailants. On Saturday morning, police got information that two persons had commandeered a motorcycle at gun-point near Janakipuram. Acting on the information, the police teams rushed to the spot, which resulted in the encounter which lasted for about half-an-hour.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy visited Kamineni Hospital at Nagole where the injured police officers have been admitted.

DGP Anurag Sharma and other senior officials visited the encounter spot, and said that complete information would be disclosed only after a thorough interrogation. (INN)