A police officer from the Surat City Police was forced to open fire on a murder suspect in custody after the accused launched a violent attack and attempted to seize the officer's service weapon. The incident occurred during the suspect's transport from Ahmedabad to Surat.
The Violent Attack on Police Personnel
According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed at the Godadara police station, the accused, identified as Shivakanth Lallan Yadav alias Shiva Takla (28), was being transported on December 15. The police team had apprehended Yadav at Ahmedabad railway station based on human intelligence that he would be meeting his girlfriend there.
As the police vehicle neared the Devadh Gam check post around 6 pm, Yadav complained of stomach issues. He asked to exit the vehicle, claiming he needed to vomit. When officers escorted him out, he bent over, clutching his stomach. Suddenly, Yadav pushed the personnel holding him, causing them to fall into a roadside canal. He then picked up a stone and hurled it at Police Sub-Inspector (PSI) J.S. Ramanandi.
The Attempt to Snatch the Pistol and Shooting
The FIR details that the first stone thrown by Yadav was blocked by PSI Ramanandi raising his hand. A second stone shattered the window of the police vehicle. Seizing the moment of chaos, Yadav then lunged at PSI Ramanandi and tried to snatch the service pistol holstered on the officer's left side.
PSI Ramanandi managed to push him away, but Yadav picked up another stone to attack again. In response, the PSI drew his pistol and fired two rounds. One bullet hit the ground, while the other struck Yadav in his right leg, incapacitating him.
Background of the Heinous Crime
Yadav was a key accused in a brutal double murder case originally registered on December 3 at the Godadara police station. The FIR states that Yadav and others, forming an unlawful assembly, had assaulted three men—Nizam alias Bhanja, Shoaib Shaikh, and Irshad Shaikh—with iron rods in an attempt to extort Rs 20,000.
When the victims could not pay, the beating intensified, leading to the death of Shoaib Shaikh on the spot. The remaining two victims were allegedly kidnapped and taken to Nandurbar in Maharashtra. There, Nizam alias Bhanja also died, and his body, along with the critically injured Irshad Shaikh, was dumped near a civil hospital.
Aftermath and Official Statements
Following the shooting, police called an ambulance, and Yadav was shifted to SMIMER Hospital in Surat for treatment. His condition is reported to be stable.
Speaking to the media, Zone 2 DCP Kanan Desai of Surat City Police confirmed the sequence of events, stating the PSI acted in self-defence. DCP Desai revealed that the double murder case has a total of 12 accused, including one minor. With Yadav's arrest, eight accused have now been apprehended; police had earlier caught six adults and detained the minor.
The police are now in the process of booking Yadav under the stringent Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime Act (GUJCTOC), in addition to the attempt to murder charge filed based on PSI Ramanandi's complaint.
