Patna, May 21 : A suspected robber was injured and two police personnel sustained gunshot wounds during a late-night encounter in Biharâ??s Kishanganj district, police said on Thursday.

The exchange of fire took place near the Faringola railway crossing in Chauhan Basti under the Town Police Station limits on Wednesday night during an operation against an alleged motorcycle theft gang.

According to officials, the gang was led by Pawan Kumar alias Chintu, who is wanted in multiple criminal cases across several districts of Bihar. Acting on intelligence inputs, a police team launched an operation after learning that the suspects had gathered in the area to plan a major crime.

Two police personnel -- Nitish Kumar and Mushtaq -- sustained gunshot injuries during the exchange of fire. Both officers were immediately shifted to the Sadar Hospital, where they are currently undergoing treatment.

Officials said that during the operation, Pawan Kumar alias Chintu allegedly opened fire on the police team, triggering a retaliatory exchange of gunfire from both sides. In the police counter-action, the accused sustained a bullet injury to his leg and was subsequently apprehended. He was later taken to the hospital for treatment alongside the injured police personnel.

Santosh Kumar, the SP of Kishanganj, stated that the accused has a criminal history and had been under police surveillance for several days after his photograph recently went viral in connection with criminal activities.

According to the SP, dozens of criminal cases are registered against him in multiple districts, and he has previously served jail time. Police suspect he had arrived in Kishanganj along with associates to execute a major criminal act.

Following the incident, District Magistrate Vishal Raj and SP Santosh Kumar rushed to the encounter site with a heavy police deployment and reviewed the situation in detail.

Police have since cordoned off the entire area around the crime scene. A Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team has also been called to collect scientific evidence from the site.

Raids are underway to trace and apprehend the remaining accomplices who allegedly escaped during the encounter.

/IANS