Chapra: Dreaded gangster of Siwan, Rajkishore Chaudhary, who led the Feb 23 jailbreak in which eight prisoners had escaped, was killed in an encounter with the police this morning (Feb 25, 2004), police said.

Chaudhary was killed along with another criminal in an encounter at Bhajauna village in Saran district. Chaudhary's associate was yet to be identified, the police said.

Chaudhary had played a key role in the jailbreak in Chapta district prison in which eight prisoners had escaped scaling the walls of the jail after triggering three explosions in which three persons including a warden were injured. The warden Dudhnath Sharma succumbed to injuries in Patna medical college and hospital yesterday.

The police said the entire area around the scene of today's encounter has been sealed off and intensive raids were on since the police suspected presence of other escapees in the area.