Man held after attempted firing at police near Vijayawada bus station

A police team narrowly escaped harm after a man allegedly attempted to open fire on officers near the Pandit Nehru Bus Station in Vijayawada on Saturday during a search operation.

The Hindu reported that the incident occurred when police personnel were inspecting a hotel in the bus station area as part of ‘Operation Vajra Prahar’. According to officials, the suspect tried to shoot at the officers using a country-made pistol, but the weapon failed to discharge.

Ake Ravi Krishna, Inspector General of Police and head of the Elite Anti-Narcotics Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE), said the firearm appeared to malfunction.

“The accused attempted to fire, but the trigger or the magazine clip may have jammed, and the weapon did not go off. All the EAGLE and police teams involved in the operation are safe,” he said.

Following the attempt, an EAGLE head constable identified as Manohar and a Task Force constable, Krishna, pursued the suspect for some distance before apprehending him. Officers later recovered the country-made pistol along with several bullets from his possession.

Police said preliminary inquiries revealed that the accused is a resident of Telangana. Investigators are now examining how and why he travelled to Vijayawada and whether he has links to criminal activities in Andhra Pradesh or Telangana.

The case is currently being investigated by the Krishnalanka Police, who are also looking into the suspect’s background and possible associates.