Jaisalmer: A wanted drug smuggler allegedly opened fire at a District Special Team (DST) of Barmer police while officers were attempting to arrest him near the Uttarai railway overbridge Thursday evening, injuring a constable before escaping with two associates.Constable Harlal sustained injuries to his right arm after being hit by bullet fragments. He was rushed to Barmer District Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment.The accused have been identified as Ashok Legha (26), Rekharam Maiya (27) and Karnaram. All three are wanted in cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Arya said Legha, a notorious doda-post smuggler, has 18 criminal cases against him and had escaped from Balotra jail after jumping bail. Maiya carries a reward of Rs 25,000 on his arrest.Additional SP Nitesh Arya said the DST had received specific information that three wanted smugglers, including Ashok Legha, had gathered at Naveen Garage near the overbridge to get their vehicles repaired. Legha is also wanted in a robbery case registered in Balotra.Acting on the tip-off, DST constables Harlal and Shembhuram Panwar reached the spot. As they approached the suspects, Karna Ram, a resident of Sanjta, allegedly fired at their legs. When the policemen tried to overpower them, Legha allegedly took a pistol from an associate and fired two more rounds. The three then fled after firing at the police team.Police accounts differed on the vehicle used in the escape. While one account said the accused fled in a jeep and a Scorpio, RIICO SHO Padmaram said they escaped in a Haryana-registered car.DSP Budharam Vishnoi and RIICO police personnel inspected the scene. SP Choonaram Jat said four special teams had been formed to arrest the accused. Raids are underway at suspected hideouts, with barricading intensified across Barmer and neighbouring Balotra district.
