SHAHJAHANPUR: Man carrying a bounty of Rs 1 lakh was shot dead in a joint encounter by UP STF and local police in Tilhar area of Shahjahanpur late on Wednesday.
Shahnoor, a resident of Sambhal district with 32 criminal cases was hiding in Pithnapur village under the limits of Tilhar police station.
At around 1 am, UP STF officials stopped a car near the village after getting a tip off about his location and asked Shahnoor to surrender but he and his accomplice opened fire.
In retaliation, police also opened fire and Shahnoor was shot in the chest while his accomplice managed to escape.
Shahnoor was taken to the hospital where he was declared dead by doctors.
Shahjahanpur SP Ashok Kumar Meena said – “The encounter took place in Tilhar by UP STF in which Sambhal’s notorious criminal Shahnoor alias Shanu was killed. According to police sources, the criminal used to brutalize and sexually assault women during robbery bids. STF was searching for him for about two and a half months. He had committed the last robbery in the Mainather area of Moradabad where he had assaulted a woman”.
Circle Officer STF unit Bareilly Abdul Qadir said, “Shahnoor has been the right hand man of notorious dacoit gang Usman. He joined the Usman gang in 2003 and started committing robberies and dacoity. Investigation revealed that he used to hide in Delhi after the crime. Last year, Shahnoor went to Uttarakhand from Sambhal via Bareilly. He stayed in Nainital for months hiding his identity”.
“More than 32 cases were registered against him in several districts under various sections including robbery, murder, riot and dacoity. On May 4, a reward of Rs 1 lakh was announced against him for absconding in the cases registered in Mainather police station of Moradabad district, since we were searching for him” Qadir said.