LUCKNOW: In a major crackdown, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) killed a wanted criminal Rashid Kalia, in an encounter in Jhansi district on Saturday morning.
Kalia was a notorious criminal with the charges of 40 murders and a Rs 1.25 lakh bounty on his head.
He was booked in criminal offences ranging from murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, cheating, extortion, intimidation, among others, the police said. UP police sources said the incident occurred when Kalia had arrived to carry out a contract killing in Mauranipur of Jhansi district.
The police sources said that the UP STF sleuths gheraoed Kalia in Mauranipur after getting a tip-off about his presence there. In the subsequent exchange of fire, Kalia was injured and was rushed to hospital where doctors declared him dead. In the exchange of fire, a deputy SP and an Inspector rank officer were hit by bullets but escaped injury due to the bulletproof vests.
Kalia alias Gauda alias Biru, 45, was a native of Mahoba district of Bundelkhand region and used to stay in the Chakeri area of Kanpur, the police said. He was wanted in the murder of Pintu Sengar, a notorious gangster turned politician, in Chakeri in June 2020.
A Rs 50,000 reward on his head was increased to Rs 1.25 lakh last year after he remained absconding in the case, the police added. Kalia used to keep a low profile to evade law enforcement agencies. He had faced charges for 13 serious crimes in Kanpur alone. The STF seized two factory-made pistols and the motorcycle Kalia was riding at the time of the encounter.