A drug peddler was shot as police opened fire in “self-defence” while conducting a raid in Kadamtali area of Dhaka early today.

Picchi Falan, 28, is undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital under surveillance of the law enforcers, police said.

He is a member of local gang ‘Billal Group’ and accused in seven to eight cases, said Kazi Wazed Ali, officer-in-charge of Kadamtali Police Station.

On information that Falan and several others were holding a clandestine meeting in Wasa road area of Kadamtali, a team from the local police conducted a drive around 2:15am, OC Kazi said.

Sensing police presence, Falan and his cohorts hurled crude bombs at police, forcing the latter to retaliate with gunfire that left Falan bullet-hit.

Later, he was arrested but his aides managed to flee the scene, the OC added.

Police recovered four crude bombs and 2,200 pouches of heroin from the spot.