In a significant crackdown over the weekend, Uttar Pradesh police were involved in three separate armed encounters across the state. These operations resulted in the death of two wanted criminals carrying cash rewards and the arrest of five individuals accused of murder.
Bulandshahr: Rewardee Killed in Late-Night Gunfight
The first incident unfolded in Bulandshahr district on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. According to Bulandshahr SSP Dinesh Kumar Singh, a police team conducting a vehicle check on Syana Road under Kotwali Dehat police station limits was fired upon by two men on a motorcycle. The duo attempted to flee but were chased and surrounded by the police.
In the ensuing exchange of fire, one of the suspects, identified as Zubair alias Peter (35) from Meerut, was shot. He was later declared dead at a hospital. A police constable also sustained injuries during the encounter. Zubair was a wanted criminal with a reward of ₹50,000 on his head and had more than 40 criminal cases, including dacoity and robbery, registered against him across various districts.
His accomplice managed to escape, and a search is underway. Police recovered a .30 bore pistol, live cartridges, and empty shells from the scene.
Saharanpur: STF Guns Down Prime Murder Accused
In a second operation early Sunday, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) eliminated Siraj Ahmad, a criminal carrying a reward of ₹1 lakh. Siraj was the main accused in the 2023 murder of Sultanpur-based lawyer Azad Ahmad.
Acting on intelligence, an STF team intercepted Siraj and an associate near the Salarpur turn on the Gangoh–Nakur road in Saharanpur. The suspects opened fire while trying to flee, prompting retaliatory action from the police. Siraj was critically injured and succumbed to his wounds during treatment. His associate escaped.
Authorities seized multiple firearms, ammunition, a motorcycle, and cash from the spot. Following the encounter, security was heightened in Sultanpur as a precautionary measure.
Ballia: Five Murder Accused Arrested After Shootout
The third police action took place in Ballia district. Based on a tip-off, police surrounded a group of suspects near an embankment at Chainpur in the Ubhaon police station area around 2:45 am.
The accused allegedly opened fire on the police team. In the retaliatory firing, four of them sustained bullet injuries to their legs. The fifth accused was arrested later after a cordon-and-search operation. The group is linked to the December 13 murder of Ayush Yadav in Belthra Road town.
Police have seized illegal firearms, ammunition, two cars, and a motorcycle believed to have been used in the crime.
Continuous Crackdown on Criminals
Commenting on the operations, Additional Director General of Police for Meerut Zone, Bhanu Bhaskar, stated that the action against crime and criminals is a continuous process. He highlighted the hard work of district police chiefs under the leadership of respective DIGs, along with the STF, to apprehend wanted criminals, especially those involved in heinous crimes like murder and rape.
He reiterated that the campaign against criminals will persist in a systematic and scientific manner, as consistently emphasized by Uttar Pradesh DGP Rajeev Krishna.
