North Dinajpur police arrested a resident of Bihar on Thursday morning in connection with the incident of an undertrial opening fire at and injuring two cops at Panjipara of the district earlier this month.

Habibur Rahaman, of Dakshin Patnor area under Balarampur police station in Bihar’s Katihar district, was nabbed from Dalkhola near the Bengal-Bihar border.

On January 15, undertrial Sajjak Alam fired at the policemen escorting him back to the correctional home in Raiganj after producing him at the local court in Islampur. He was on the run till January 18, when he died exchanging fire with the police.

A probe revealed that Sajjak was handed over a firearm at the court lockup. The police also nabbed Abdul Hussain, a Bangladeshi, and Sheikh Hazrat, who helped Sajjak escape from police custody.

“During interrogation, the duo revealed Habibur’s involvement. Based on the information, he was arrested this morning (Thursday),” said Sanjay Bhowal, the government lawyer in Islampur.

Sources said Habibur was arrested earlier in connection with a case under the NDPS (Narcotics, Drugs & Psychotropic Substances) Act and the Arms Act.

“When he was at the Raiganj correctional home, he met Sajjak and they became friendly. It seems they planned Sajjak’s escape there. Accordingly, after Habibur was released on bail, he arranged the funds to execute the plan. This money was used by Abdul Hussain and Sheikh Hazrat to procure a firearm, ammunition and a motorcycle to help Sajjak escape,” a source said.

Later in the day, Habibur was produced at the additional chief judicial magistrate’s court in Islampur. The court heard the case and ordered he be kept for 14 days in
police custody.

Smugglers open fire

A gang of smugglers fired at a police team in Malda on Thursday morning as the latter chased them to prevent their smuggling cough syrups to Bangladesh.

Members of the police team, however, managed to escape unhurt and foiled the plan to smuggle the contraband.

Sources said police personnel of the Golapganj investigation centre under Kaliachak police station came to know that a gang of smugglers would regularly send cough syrups to Bangladesh. Cops reached Sailapur village, 1.5km from the border and spotted the gang.

As the policemen chased the gang, the latter fired at them. Cops went behind them, prompting the smugglers to run in different directions.

However, cops managed to nab four of them and recover a 7mm pistol, two rounds of live ammunition, some empty cartridges and 100 bottles of cough syrup.