Police bullets end Dadua’s 30-yr reign of terror

UP police kill Shiv Kumar Patel alias Dadua along with his 10 other accomplices in the forest of Hanua under Manikpur police station in Chitrakoot district, reports M Hasan.Dead end for dacoits

The UP police on Sunday gunned down dacoit Shiv Kumar Patel alias Dadua and nine of his accomplices in the forest of Elhar under Manikpur police station in Chitrakoot district.

HT Image

DGP Vikram Singh said there had been three encounters with the Dadua and Dr Ambika Patel alias Thokia gangs since Saturday night.

Who was Dadua dacoit?

• A byword for terror in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, Shiv Kumar Patel alias Dadua had been active for over 30 years. • His 25-member gang was involved in murder, kidnapping, dacoity and extortion. There were over 200 criminal cases against them in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

On Sunday morning, the UP police’s special task force (STF) surrounded the Dadua gang in Elhar forest near Jhalmal village. Singh said there was an exchange of heavy fire from both sides and the STF used grenades to pin down the dacoits. “There was massive firepower with the gang,” said Singh. Dadua, 58, and five members of his gang were killed in the encounter.

SSP Amitabh Yash told HT from Chitrakoot that the Thokia gang tried to rescue the Dadua gang but another STF team repulsed its attack. The police said 10 dacoits were killed in the three encounters.

The DGP said the village pradhan and some other people identified Dadua’s body. The dacoit’s daughter had been called to identify the body.