LUCKNOW: The count of encounter deaths by Uttar Pradesh’s Special Task Force (STF) increased to 50 on Monday after the agency claimed to have gunned down another wanted suspect allegedly involved in a 1.5 crore robbery at a jewelery shop in Sultanpur.
This was the second accused eliminated by the STF in the Sultanpur robbery case, following Mangesh Yadav, who was killed in Sultanpur on September 5.
Earlier, on Sunday, a press note from the state government’s media cell stated that the STF had gunned down 49 dreaded criminals over the past 7.5 years since the Yogi Adityanath government came to power in the state.
Additional director general Amitabh Yash confirmed that the accused, Anuj Pratap Singh, was gunned down in Unnao in an exchange of fire. Police recovered approximately 4.182 kg of silver jewellery, along with two 32-bore pistols, three live cartridges, seven empty cartridges, one motorcycle, and a backpack.
STF officials said that, following a tip-off about Anuj and his accomplice’s presence in Unnao’s Kuluhagadh area, they cordoned off the area. In an attempt to escape on his motorcycle, Anuj, who carried a 1 lakh bounty on his head, started firing at the police. He was shot dead in retaliatory fire. However, his accomplice managed to flee.
“The accused was taken to the district hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Further legal action is underway,” the STF press note said.
Under the leadership of DSP Pramesh Kumar Shukla, a team left for Unnao after receiving information about Anuj’s whereabouts. When they reached the Gadankheda bypass intersection, they learned that Anuj, armed with heavy weapons, was hiding in the Katori area of Koluhagada in the Achalganj police station area, along with his accomplice. He was reportedly planning to sell the looted goods to a jeweler that night.
The STF team reached the underpass between Koluhagada and Achalganj on the Raebareli-Unnao highway at 10:45 pm and divided into two separate teams. During the check, a motorcycle was seen speeding from Koluhagada. An attempt was made to stop the vehicle, but the motorcyclist tried to turn onto an unpaved road and slipped into a slush. When the police asked them to surrender, Anuj and his companion started firing at the police. In retaliation, the police fired back, resulting in Anuj’s death.
Criminal history
The STF claimed that before committing any major crime, Anuj would steal vehicles and use them in robberies to avoid identification through the vehicle. According to the STF press note, besides the Sultanpur case, three other cases were registered against him—two in different police stations in Surat, Gujarat, and one in Unnao.
My son became victim to political game: Anuj’s father
“Akhilesh Yadav’s wish has been fulfilled. Now a Thakur has also been killed in an encounter,” said Anuj’s father, Dharamraj Singh, a resident of Amethi, while speaking to the media.
“Those who have 35-40 cases against them are not being killed. My son Anuj had only one case registered against him in Surat, yet he was killed in an encounter,” he added, mentioning that his son last visited the village on May 3 and left on June 4.
