Notorious gangster Aman Sao, accused in over 150 criminal cases, was killed in a police encounter in Jharkhand’s Palamu district on Tuesday morning. The incident occurred near Chainpur in the Ramgarh police station area, approximately 180 km from Ranchi, as Sao was being transported from Raipur jail in Chhattisgarh to Ranchi for questioning in an NIA case.

According to officials, the shootout erupted when members of Sao’s gang ambushed the police vehicle in an attempt to free him. Medininagar Sub-divisional Police Officer Manibhushan Prasad reported that the gang attacked with firearms and explosives.

During the chaos, Sao snatched an INSAS rifle from a Special Task Force (STF) jawan and opened fire while attempting to flee. In self-defense, police retaliated, resulting in Sao’s death. An STF jawan was injured and rushed to a medical facility for treatment.

Palamu Superintendent of Police Reeshma Ramesan confirmed the details, noting that the ambush involved a bomb explosion and gunfire. After Sao was gunned down, his gang members fled the scene. An ambulance was dispatched to retrieve his body, which will undergo a postmortem at MR Medical College and Hospital. Vehicular movement between Chainpur and Ramgarh has been suspended as police secure the area.

The encounter follows remarks by Jharkhand DGP Anurag Gupta on Monday, who highlighted that criminals like Sao, Vikas Tiwari, and Aman Srivastava orchestrate crimes from within jails. Gupta had ordered action under Section 111 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against organized crime. An FIR was filed against 30 members of Sao’s gang on Sunday, with efforts ongoing to apprehend them despite technical challenges.

The incident sparked debate in the Jharkhand Assembly, where JD(U) MLA Saryu Roy demanded a government report during Zero Hour, calling it a serious matter requiring transparency. IG Operations Amol Homkar and senior officials are at the site overseeing the investigation.