Absconding robber, carrying ₹2L bounty, killed in encounter with STF

Notorious gold robber Prince Kumar, wanted for multiple crimes, was shot dead in a police encounter in Bihar after months on the run.

Notorious gold robber, Prince Kumar alias Abhijeet, carrying ₹2 lakh bounty, and involved in cases of robbery, Arms Act and murder of a police constable in Bihar, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, was shot dead in a police encounter in Bihar’s Vaishali district on Friday noon.

Absconding robber, carrying ₹2L bounty, killed in encounter with STF

Prince was wanted for many months and had 28 cases registered against him in several districts of the three states. In September 2024, he escaped from police custody during treatment at Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) under Pirbahore police station area. He was said to have locked policemen in a room after engaging them in a mutton party. Since then, he had been a big challenge for Bihar police.

Earlier on April 3, 2018, Prince, who was brought from the Vaishali jail for production before the juvenile justice board (JJB) in a loot case lodged with Patepur police station in 2016, escaped after his associates killed police havildar Ram Ekbal Ram (50) outside Hajipur court. He fled on the bike in handcuffs. Several teams of Bihar police, including the STF, were constantly conducting raids to arrest him. Apart from Bihar, searches were also being conducted in Nepal and other states.

On April, 1, 2025, then ADG (headquarters) Kundan Krishnan had said, “Prince, who escaped from jail, is our top target and will not be spared in any circumstances. We are also keeping a close watch on those who helped him escape from Beur Jail. Criminal conspiracies are being conducted from Beur Jail, and action will be taken on that as well.”

Recently, after the court issued a notice against him, Vaishali police had pasted a notice on his house and the family members were warned to surrender soon. Friday’s operation was carried out by a joint team of Bihar STF and Vaishali police at Digghi Hanuman Nagar locality under Sadar police station. Vaishali SP Vikram Sihag said, police had received a tip-off that Prince was hiding in a house in Hanuman Nagar. A joint team of STF and Vaishali police cordoned off the area. As the police team asked him to surrender, Prince opened fire at policemen. In retaliation he received gunshot injuries. He was immediately rushed to sadar hospital where the doctor declared him dead. “One of his accomplices was also arrested from the spot. Police recovered firearms and live and empty cartridges. An FSL team arrived and preserved the place of occurrence,” said the SP.

Prince was a resident of Hussaina village under Goraul police station of Vaishali district. According to police records, Prince’s name was also linked to notorious gold robber Subodh Singh, mastermind of the gold loot gang. He was involved in the 55kg gold loot from Asansol (West Bengal) in 2017, 55kg gold loot from Hajipur (Bihar) in 2019 and 16kg gold loot from Katni in Madhya Pradesh in 2022. Following the escape of Prince, two police personnel were arrested and sent to judicial custody while six other police personnel assigned to guard the prisoner at PMCH were suspended for dereliction of duty.