Nagaon, Sep 23: A man, accused in a case of snatching, was shot at after he allegedly tried to escape from police custody in Assam's Hojai district, officials said on Thursday.
The man was nabbed at Netaji Point on Wednesday evening while he was fleeing after snatching Rs 75,000 from an elderly person, officer-in-charge of Hojai police station Tapan Medhi said.
He was being taken to Nagaon for further investigation when he tried to flee from police custody at Jabroka area, the officer said.
Police then opened fire and shot him in the leg, he added.
He was admitted to the Nagaon Civil Hospital for treatment, police said.
Rs 56,000 was seized from him, while a search is on for another person involved in the snatching incident, they said.
The duo is suspected members of the 'Irani Gang', involved in several criminal activities, police said.
Since May 10, 26 people have been killed in police shootings in Assam and 43 injured. The police claim that they were shot after they "tried to flee" from custody.
The spate of police shootings come after BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma took over as chief minister of the state and gave "full operational liberty" to the forces to fight against the criminals "within the ambit of law".
