SPECIAL TASK Force sleuths gunned down three hardcore inter-state criminals between Barhat Kachar and Paigupur Kachar villages in Bithoor early on Saturday morning, while eight or nine criminals managed to escape. The area was cordoned off and police teams were searching for the escaped criminals. Police and STF men have been alerted across the State.
The three were identified as Raghuveer Dheemer, Mohan Dheemer and Bhajan Lal, all carrying rewards on their heads, and wanted by Madya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh police in several cases of heinous crime.
The STF recovered an England-made rifle, a double-barrel and a single barrel factory-made guns, along with cartridges of .12 and .315 bore.
Raghuveer was a native of Jhansi, while the other two belonged to Nadi Gaon village in Orai district.
The three, along with others, were staying at a farmhouse in Bithoor and had come to the city with a plan to kidnap an affluent industrialist.
Additional Superintendent of Police Ashok Tripathi, who is in charge of the STF, Kanpur, said following a tip-off, as well as electronic surveillance, a 15-member STF team headed by him traced the hideout of the criminals and reached the spot in the wee hours on Saturday and waited for some light.
Incidentally, the three criminals came out from a farmhouse and headed towards the direction where the STF men were holding positions.
{{/usCountry}}Incidentally, the three criminals came out from a farmhouse and headed towards the direction where the STF men were holding positions.
{{/usCountry}}The STF officer asked them to stop, but the three opened fire. The police force retaliated and after a fierce exchange of fire for 15-20 minutes, the firing from the criminals’ side stopped and the STF sleuths found Raghuveer, Mohan and Bhajan Lal dead.
Talking to the HT, STF ASP Ashok Tripathi said: “The area of the encounter was U-shaped and we had to take every step carefully to reduce the risk to our men.”
He said the three criminals were members of an inter-state gang and police were after them for quite some time.
He said Raghuveer and Mohan had escaped from Lehar Jail in Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh, along with five other criminals. In 2005, Raghuveer had kidnapped an affluent industrialist from Jhansi and he later released him only after receiving a ransom of Rs 50 lakh.
According to the STF, Raghuveer had more than 50 cases and the Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh governments had declared rewards of Rs 25,000 and Rs 50,000, respectively, on his arrest. Similarly, for Mohan Dheengar who had 32 criminal cases against him, the two governments had announced rewards of Rs 15,000 and Rs 20,000 respectively. On Mohan Lal, who had eight cases against him, the two governments had announced rewards of Rs 10,000 and Rs 2,500 respectively.