Dhanbad, Aug. 4 -- Jharkhand's notorious gangster Sujit Sinha was killed in a police encounter late Sunday night in Jamtara district after he allegedly tried to escape while being shifted from Sahibganj Mandal Jail to Dhanbad jail, officials said. According to people close to the development, Sinha, originally from Medininagar in Palamau district, was being escorted in a convoy of four vehicles when one escort vehicle developed a tyre puncture near Supaideeh village under Jamtara police station on Sahibganj-Govindpur highway. While Sinha was being shifted to another vehicle, he sought to go to toilet. As soon as he was taken out, he allegedly snatched the rifle of a security personnel and tried to flee. He also allegedly opened fire on the escort team, prompting retaliatory firing in self-defence, they said. Sinha sustained bullet injuries in the exchange of fire. A medical team reached the spot and declared him dead. "The accused tried to snatch a jawan's weapon and fired at the police team. The escort team responded in self-defence. All legal procedures are being followed and the incident is under investigation," Jamtara SP Shambhu Kumar Singh said. On Monday, a three-member medical board conducted the post-mortem under the supervision of a magistrate. Doctors recovered two bullets from Sinha's body during the examination. They said the exact cause of death and the nature of the injuries would be confirmed only after the final post-mortem report, adding that some bullets might have passed through the body. Sinha had a long criminal record and was considered one of Jharkhand's most wanted gangsters. According to official records, he was linked to several cases of extortion, murder, attempted murder and illegal arms supply. This was the 16th time Sinha was being shifted between jails under heavy security since his arrest in 2016. Meanwhile, Sinha's family alleged the incident was a "planned conspiracy" and demanded an independent probe. His mother-in-law, Usha Devi, questioned the official version, claiming that a handcuffed prisoner was unlikely to attempt an escape or open fire....