Jharkhand: Pahari Cheetah gang leader killed in encounter

Simdega (Jharkhand) [India], Aug 21 : Leader of the Pahari Cheetah gang was killed and three others were arrested after an encounter in the jungle area under Bolba police station limit in Jharkhand, the police said.
According to the police, the gang is extremely dreaded, active in Odisha and Jharkhand involved in extortion, kidnapping and murder and similar kind of heinous crimes.
"They had threatened a businessman for extortion who approached the police for help. The gang planned to kill the businessmen. Acting on the complaint, the police surrounded them before they could kill the businessman. On being asked to surrender, they started firing at the police," Sanjeev Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Simdega said.
He said that the police also fired in retaliation and gang leader Simon Kerketta received bullet injuries.
"Later he was declared dead at the hospital. Simon was operating the Jharkhand network of Pahari Cheeta gang. Five pistols and 30 round of bullets have been seized from their possession," Kumar said.