Patna, May 20 : The crackdown on criminals in Biharâ??s Samastipur district is intensifying, with police carrying out another major operation in the early hours of Wednesday.

During an encounter between police personnel and a wanted criminal, notorious accused Prince Kumar sustained a bullet injury to his leg and was subsequently arrested.

According to police sources, authorities received confidential information that Prince Kumarâ??allegedly involved in several robbery and snatching cases across the districtâ??was hiding in the area along with his associates.

Acting on the tip-off, a police team launched an early morning raid around 3 A.M. to apprehend him.

Police officials stated that Prince Kumar allegedly opened fire after realising that he had been surrounded.

In response, the police retaliated in self-defence. During the exchange of fire, Prince Kumar was shot in the leg and collapsed on the spot, after which officers took him into custody.

Investigators say the accused had been linked to multiple incidents of robbery, snatching, and other criminal activities in the district, and police had been searching for him for a long time.

Authorities are now trying to gather more information about his criminal network and identify his accomplices.

Following the encounter, the injured accused was admitted to Sadar Hospital in Samastipur under heavy police security, where he is undergoing treatment.

Senior police officials have so far refrained from issuing a detailed statement regarding the incident.

However, the operation is being viewed as a significant success in the districtâ??s ongoing campaign against organised crime.

This was the third incident of an encounter in the last three days.

Earlier on Tuesday, Patna Police, as part of the campaign popularly referred to as â??Operation Langdaâ??, conducted a half-encounter in the Gopalpur police station area.

The operation took place in Udayini village along the Patnaâ??Masaurhi road.

According to Patnaâ??s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kartikeya Sharma, one accusedâ??identified as Nitish Kumar, the alleged mastermindâ??was shot in the leg during the exchange of fire, while three others were arrested from the spot.

Siwan police carried out a similar half encounter of an accused involved in the robbery at a gold merchantâ??s outlet in the district on Monday.

/IANS