For the men of Special Task Force (STF) Friday turned out to be the day of low-spirit. The bird they had trained their guns at had changed its course.
A sharp shooter from Varanasi was about to take the road to this city. But with luck being on his side he changed his plan at the eleventh hour. As a result hours of ambushing on the outskirts of the city drew a blank.
STF men armed with automatic weapons had prepared themselves either to gun him down in an encounter which under such circumstances usually takes place or arrest him before he reached the city to meet the very special person with whom he had a meeting.
But last minute changes in the plan of this sharp shooter whose identity is a closely guarded secret watered down the entire operation. Sources said, another STF team from Varanasi was already in the saddle to follow the ganglord who could have turned out as a prized catch here today. However, that was not to be.
Sources said, the shooter neither belongs to Mukhtar Ansari gang nor the Brajesh Singh gang but was operating independently along with few men.
The shooter's plans to visit this city on the invitation of a ' special person' in the city has put a seal on the fact that Allahabad has become a playground for criminals from Purvanchal who are armed with AK 47's and other automatic weapons.
{{/usCountry}}The shooter's plans to visit this city on the invitation of a ' special person' in the city has put a seal on the fact that Allahabad has become a playground for criminals from Purvanchal who are armed with AK 47's and other automatic weapons.
{{/usCountry}}From going for supari killing to kidnapping for ransom these hardened criminals are ready to do anything for a price.
Incidentally the civil police due to their tarnished image had no role to play in today's operation. On its part the STF is also not keen to have any logistic or other support from them.
And that is why the IB too reposes some trust in the STF men who are considered far cleaner than their counterparts in the civil police.
Sources said, a gathering of some criminals in the city had been pre-planned by some persons.
Although the real purpose behind such a gathering could not be immediately known, the sources said there was something in the offing. Murder, kidnapping or anything could have happened.
However, the dare-devil men of the STF are reported not to have given up their wait and watch exercise. They are always on the hunt for such dreaded criminals.