Wanted criminal killed in police encounter in UP’s Saharanpur

A wanted criminal, involved in several serious criminal cases, including armed robbery and theft, across multiple districts of Western Uttar Pradesh, was killed during cross-firing with the police in Saharanpur district.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ashish Tiwari, the operation took place around 10 pm on Sunday when Imran, a resident of Shamli, attempted to flee on a recently-stolen motorcycle in the Gagalhedi area. Imran was involved in several serious criminal cases in several districts, including Saharanpur, Shamli, Muzaffarnagar, and Meerut.

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On being intercepted by police, he reportedly fired at the team. In the crossfire, Inspector Parvesh Sharma of Gagalhedi police station sustained an injury to his left arm, and Sarsawa SHO Vinod Kumar was hit in his bulletproof jacket, which prevented any serious harm.

Police returned fire during the encounter, in which Imran was critically injured. He was taken to the district hospital, where doctors declared him deceased.

From the scene, police recovered two country-made pistols of 32 bore, 18 empty shell casings, 10 live cartridges, and the snatched motorcycle. The encounter site was within the Gagalhedi police station limits.

Imran had a known criminal history and had been under police radar for his involvement in a high-profile robbery on September 15 in the Budhana area. During that incident, he and his associates had stopped a local jeweller and his grandson who were returning home and taken gold, silver, and cash valued at around Rs 10 lakh. The victims were restrained, and one of them sustained injuries during the robbery. The police had launched an extensive manhunt following the incident.

Two days before the Saharanpur encounter, Imran’s associate Mehtab, also a wanted criminal with a Rs 1 lakh reward on his head, was killed during a police operation in Muzaffarnagar. Imran had managed to escape that night, reportedly taking advantage of low visibility at the time.

Earlier, on September 21, police had arrested another member of the same gang, Shadab, who carried a Rs 20,000 reward. Acting on a tip-off, the police located him in the Poplar Bagh area. During the operation, he attempted to evade arrest and exchanged fire with police, leading to a non-fatal injury. Upon interrogation, he confessed to his role in the Budhana robbery and named Imran and Mehtab as key participants.

Following Imran’s death, law enforcement agencies have intensified efforts to apprehend the remaining members of the gang. The injured officers are currently under medical care and are reported to be in stable condition.

Police officials confirmed that investigations are ongoing, and further arrests are expected soon as part of the crackdown on organised criminal activities in the region.