GORAKHPUR
The reward for the arrest of notorious mafioso Vinod Upadhyay was doubled by the police on Saturday.
ADG zone, Akhil Kumar, increased the award amount from ₹50,000 to ₹1 lakh. He said that the police had increased the reward against him under the Police Regulation Act 464 A, for giving concrete information on the criminal.
The topmost criminal of the district and in list of 61 wanted mafia of Uttar Pradesh, Vinod Upadhayay is still a fugitive and is eluding the grasp of the police despite all efforts of the personnel for the past two years.
As part of their ongoing fight to stop serious organised crimes and to arrest Vinod Upadhayay, IG zone J Ravindra had announced ₹50,000 as reward in August last year that has been doubled to ₹1,00,000.
Upadhayay is wanted by the police in around two dozen cases, including multiple cases of murder, demands for extortion and illegal possession of land, pending against him in different police stations, for the last two years.
Upadhayay, who had contested the Assembly election in 2012 on a BSP ticket, belongs to Purwa village near Maya Bazar of Ayodhya district but resides in Gorakhpur.
The police had registered a case against him in Gulharia police station, in August last year, for preparing fraudulent documents to sell property and for issuing threats to the owner of the property.
{{/usCountry}}The police had registered a case against him in Gulharia police station, in August last year, for preparing fraudulent documents to sell property and for issuing threats to the owner of the property.
{{/usCountry}}His elder brother, Sanjay Upadhyay, and two accomplices are under arrest, but Vinod Upadhyaya is still a challenge for police personnel.
Though three top mafiosi of the district – Sudheer Singh, Ajeet Shahi and Rakesh Yadav – surrendered before the court under immense pressure, the hunt for Upadhyay is still on.