In a major breakthrough, a wanted criminal was gunned down by the Uttar Pradesh Police Special Task Force (STF) after a fierce gunbattle in Pratapgarh district.
The encounter started in Pratapgarh under Kotwali police station area after the STF team received a tip-off about presence of Taukir in the area.
Following the fierce encounter, sharpshooter Taukir died on the spot while one of his accomplices managed to escape.
“Local police was on a lookout for Tauqir for over a year. It requested STF to take the matter into hand as, according to their sources, he was conspiring another murder. When our team besieged him on the road last night, he fired at us. He got injured when we fired back,” News agency ANI quoted Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Abhishek Singh, as saying.
The STF also recovered a motorcycle, a mobile phone and two pistols from the spot where the encounter took place.
Taukir's criminal history includes murder, attempt to murder, dacoity, extortion and many more. He has committed sensational murders of Marble Trader Rajesh Singh, Jail warden Har Narayan Trivedi and Pradhan Dinesh Dubey.
The deceased criminal had a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head.