Nizamabad: The Nizamabad police encountered a notorious rowdy sheeter Riyaz on Monday morning at the GGH, Nizamabad. He had been absconding after killing a police constable, was caught on Sunday when he stabbed another person.

He was undergoing treatment in the hospital which received njuries in clash with police. He tried to snatch a constable’s gun, prompting the police to open fire to protect hospital staff and patients, during which Riyaz was killed.

DGP Shivadhar Reddy told about the encounter in Hyderabad that if the accused had already murdered a constable and injured others had managed to get hold of a gun, there could have been a bloodbath inside the hospital. Hence the police opened fire only after considering all possible consequences.

Riyaz stabbed to murder a constable E Pramod, on Friday and injured an SI Vittal, in the attack. The police arrested Riyaz on Sunday evening in the Sarangapur area, under the 6th Town Police Station limits. He was shifted to the GGH for medical treatment and kept in Room No. 407 on the fourth floor under tight security.

According to police records, Riyaz was involved in around 37 criminal cases, registered across seven police stations in Nizamabad district.  Nizamabad Commissioner of Police P Sai Chaitanya expressed serious concern over the public’s negligence.