Banda (Uttar Pradesh), Sep 24 (IANS): With the police force of two states, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, claiming credit for eliminating two dreaded dacoits, a former associate of the slain men has come out claiming that he played a key role in getting them killed.
Babuli Kol and Lavlesh Kol, who had their base in the Patha forests in Chitrakoot along the Uttar Pradesh-Madhya Pradesh border, were synonymous with terror, according to police. Babuli carried a reward of Rs 6 lakh on his head while the bounty on Lavlesh was Rs 1.5 lakh.
In fact, both Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh Police claim to have killed the dacoits.
Madhya Pradesh police said the robbers were eliminated in an encounter carried out by their personnel. Contradicting it, Uttar Pradesh Police told the media "they had first gunned down Lavlesh, and then Babuli", adding the MP Police was lying.
However, another dacoit Sohan Kol, a member of Babuli Kol's gang who is currently in UP Police's custody, claims he is responsible for getting his former associates killed.
A top UP Police officer has neither denied Sohan's claim, nor confirmed it.
Deepak Kumar, DIG of Chitrakoot Dham range, said: "We cannot comment on MP Police's claims. All we can say is we have destroyed the 'striking capacity' of Babuli Kol gang. Their arms and ammunition have been seized.
"As far as the question of Sohan's claim is concerned, we are looking into it," he added.
An officer of UP police's Special Task Force said on the condition of anonymity: "As per our 'strategy', we have killed both Babuli and Lavlesh. However, during the final moments of the operation, we lost 'contact' with the key player.
"It was quite difficult to look for bodies in the dense forest. Meanwhile, the MP Police came out with its own claims whereas, it had earlier congratulated the UP Police on carrying out a successful operation," the STF officer said.
The STF officer's statement provides an apparent hint towards the veracity of Sohan's claim, and that the UP Police eliminated Babuli and Lavlesh through Sohan.
The Madhya Pradesh Police had claimed gunning down Babuli and Lavlesh in an encounter on September 15 night in the jungles of Dharkundi.