Lucknow: A wanted sharpshooter of the Udham Singh gang, carrying a reward of Rs 50,000, was killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh STF and Moradabad police in the Civil Lines area of Moradabad late Tuesday.The accused, identified as Ashu alias Monty, a resident of Hapur, was intercepted during a joint operation by the STF field unit, Meerut, and local police. According to officials, he opened fire at the police team, prompting retaliatory action in which he sustained critical injuries. He was rushed to a hospital, where he later succumbed. ADG, Law and Order, Amitabh Yash, said that Ashu was wanted in a recent case involving a Rs 5 crore extortion demand from a businessman and attempt to murder. He had a long criminal history, with around 36 cases registered against him across Hapur, Meerut and Ghaziabad, including charges of murder, robbery and offences under the Arms Act and Gangster Act. Investigations revealed that Ashu first went to jail in 2010 in a murder case, where he came into contact with the Udham Singh gang. During the operation, police recovered a Swift car, a .32-bore factory-made pistol, a revolver, a 12-bore gun and a large quantity of live and spent cartridges.
