The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) claimed to have gunned down dreaded gangster Sachin Pandey, 27, in retaliatory firing behind old campus of Amity University under Vibhuti Khand police station limits here on Sunday afternoon.
So far, the state police had gunned down as many as 102 people with criminal background in encounters since May, 2017 said a senior police official at state police headquarters.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP), STF Lucknow, Rajeev Narain Mishra said Pandey was wanted in multiple cases of murder, attempt to murder, loot and extortion in his native district Azamgarh as well as in other districts in the state and carried a reward of Rs 50,000 on his head.
The SSP said the deceased was listed in criminal history of Azamgarh’s Nizamabad police station and his gang D-16 with at least six members was also registered there. He said the deceased was known for his notoriety and opened fire even on police without any hesitation. He said in 2013, Pandey and his aide Vaibhav Yadav has opened fire on the then additional superintendent of police (ASP) Shailesh Kumar Pandey, who is presently posted as SSP Bareilly, and his gunner Rajnish Singh during checking at a shop in Azamgarh. In the incident, Rajnish Singh was severely injured while Pandey and his aide escaped after carrying out indiscriminate firing, he added.
Mishra said the encounter was held on a specific tip-off to a STF team about Pandey’s presence near the old campus of Amity University. He said Pandey opened firing on the police team and was severely injured in the retaliatory firing. Later he died while being taken to a nearby hospital.
{{/usCountry}}Mishra said the encounter was held on a specific tip-off to a STF team about Pandey’s presence near the old campus of Amity University. He said Pandey opened firing on the police team and was severely injured in the retaliatory firing. Later he died while being taken to a nearby hospital.
{{/usCountry}}Another STF officer said Pandey suffered two bullet wounds in his neck and waist during the retaliatory firing and was rushed to Dr Ram Manohar Lohia hospital where he was declared brought dead.
He said Pandey was one of the notorious shooters in UP as well as Bihar. He worked as a hired shooter for various criminal gangs and had executed over a dozen murders and attacks. In many cases, his name could not be included as police failed to get proper evidence about his involvement in the crime, the officer added.
SSP Azamgarh, Triveni Singh said at least 22 criminal cases were registered against Sachin Pandey in the district, including three murders and seven attempts to murder between 2013 and 2019. He said Pandey entered into the crime world at a very young age and the first case of murder registered against him was of Abul Qaish in 2013.