Lucknow: A dreaded dacoit carrying a reward of ₹1 lakh, identified as Vicky, 40, alias Asim Ali alias Nakshe Hasan alias Penda, died after being injured in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force,or STF, in Ambedkar Nagar district in the early hours of Tuesday, police said.Officials said Vicky was wanted in multiple cases of murder, dacoity and armed robbery in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, including the 2014 Shahganj triple murder-dacoity case in Jaunpur. He was absconding for more than a decade, and the additional director general of police, Varanasi Zone, announced a ₹1 lakh reward for information leading to his arrest.The encounter took place around 3.45 am near Muslim Jagdishpur village under Bevana police station limits. According to the STF, inputs suggested that members of the Chhaimar gang became active in the Tanda-Ambedkar Nagar belt and were preparing to execute a major crime. Acting on the alert, additional superintendent of police, STF, Raj Kumar Mishra initiated surveillance and deployment in the area.Mishra said two suspected gang members were seen riding a motorcycle near Kushalpur crossing. When the STF team attempted to stop them, they allegedly sped away towards a muddy village road. Due to rain, the motorcycle reportedly slipped, after which the two men opened fire at the pursuing personnel, the officer said.In the exchange, an alleged bullet hit inspector Sachin Kumar’s bulletproof jacket, while head constable Omnath Chauhan sustained a gunshot wound to his right hand, the STF said. The team repeatedly asked the suspects to surrender, but they continued firing, prompting retaliatory action in self-defence, officials added.Vicky sustained bullet injuries, while his accomplice escaped into nearby fields under cover of darkness. The injured man was taken to the district hospital in Akbarpur, where doctors declared him dead during treatment, police said.A .32-bore pistol, a 12-bore country-made firearm, four live .32-bore cartridges, three spent .32-bore cartridges, 14 live 12-bore cartridges, two spent 12-bore cartridges, a bag and the motorcycle were recovered from the spot, officials said.Police said Vicky entered organised crime around 2006, initially facing NDPS Act cases before joining the Chhaimar gang. He was linked to a series of dacoities involving murder and grievous assault across districts in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, including incidents in Sultanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Kaushambi, Barabanki, Kanpur Dehat, and robbery cases in Ambala and Panchkula. Records show more than 20 cases registered against him, with convictions in some matters under the Gangsters Act, Arms Act and robbery provisions.
