Daijiworld Media Network - Mathura

Mathura, Mar 9: A wanted criminal carrying a bounty of Rs 1 lac was gunned down in an encounter with the police in Mathura early Sunday.

The accused, identified as Fati alias Assad, was the leader of the notorious Chhaimar gang and had over three dozen cases of loot, dacoity, and murder registered against him across multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team led by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shailesh Pandey surrounded a house near Krishna Kunj colony, where Fati and his three accomplices were hiding. As the police closed in, the gang opened fire. In retaliation, Fati was shot and later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. His associates managed to escape, and a combing operation is underway to trace them.

The slain criminal, originally from Gadmukteswar in Hapur, had 18 cases registered against him in Uttar Pradesh alone.

Meanwhile, in a separate operation on March 3, the police nabbed four interstate criminals belonging to the Tatlu gang after a brief exchange of fire. Three of them sustained bullet injuries. The gang was involved in extorting money from prominent businessmen. The police recovered Rs 1.7 lac, a getaway car, and a cache of arms and ammunition from their possession.

The Uttar Pradesh Police's relentless crackdown on organized crime continues to tighten the noose around criminal networks.