Sagar (MP), Sep 23 (PTI) Police apprehended the main accused in the Sagar hooch tragedy case after a brief encounter here in the early hours of Wednesday, an official said.
The accused, Manish Lodhi alias Yashwant Thakur, was carrying a reward of Rs 30,000 in connection with the death of 20 persons after consuming spurious liquor in the district earlier this month, the official said.
A police team cornered the accused at around 3 am on Wednesday in the Noniya Sesai Road Valley, about 50 km from Sagar. Lodhi and his accomplice Ashish Sahu opened fire on the police team, following which the security personnel retaliated in self-defence, Superintendent of Police Anurag Sujania told PTI.
Lodhi was shot in the leg. Sahu, who was trying to escape to avoid arrest, was also injured and suffered a fracture on his hand. Both have been admitted to hospital for treatment, he said.
The police recovered two country-made pistols, five empty cartridges, and a baseball bat from the accused at the scene, the official said.
So far, the police have apprehended 35 accused in the spurious liquor case, he said.
Efforts were underway to nab another key accused, Siddharth Kushwaha, and others wanted in the case, the official added.
(PTI News)
