Azamgarh: A notorious criminal, who carried a cash reward of ₹50,000 on his head, was shot dead on Friday during an encounter with the Special Task Force (STF) in Azamgarh, police officials said. Three of his accomplices managed to flee the scene during the confrontation.

The encounter took place near the Jokhara bridge in the jurisdiction of Rounapar police station when joint teams comprising the Lucknow STF, Azamgarh SWAT, and Sidhari police intercepted a group of criminals. The STF and local police were investigating a recent snatching incident in the Sidhari area when they received a tip-off that suspects were fleeing towards Rounapar, according to Superintendent of Police City Madhuban Kumar Singh.

“On seeing the police, the criminals opened fire. The police retaliated in self-defence,” Singh said. During the ensuing exchange of fire, one of the criminals sustained gunshot injuries. He was initially taken to CHC Haria hospital and subsequently referred to the district hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

The deceased has been identified as Wakib, alias Wakif, son of Kalam alias Salam, a resident of the Phoolpur police station area in Azamgarh. Police stated that Wakib was part of an active criminal gang and had nearly 44 criminal cases registered against him in Azamgarh, Jaunpur, Kushinagar, and neighboring districts. His criminal record included charges of theft, robbery, fraud, and illegal cattle smuggling.

At the encounter site, police recovered cartridges, shells, and other evidences. A combing and search operation has been launched to apprehend the three accomplices who escaped.

The police confirmed that Wakib had been a long-standing target for law enforcement due to his involvement in organized crime across multiple districts. The STF said the encounter was a result of coordinated intelligence gathering and rapid action to prevent further criminal activities in the region.

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