With Uttarakhand police remaining focused on nabbing Amit Malik alias ‘Bhura’ who had escaped from police custody on December 15, 2014, other such cases involving around 25 absconders are being undermined. Importantly, these criminals have bounties hanging over them. As per the report received from Special Task Force (STF), Uttarakhand, around 25 criminals who have committed crimes under various police stations of the State and against whom bounties have been announced by State police are still at large.

Most of these criminals are from Western Uttar Pradesh. They committed crimes in Uttarakhand and then fled. Critics opined that with the State police having launched massive man-hunt for Bhura in conjunction with their counterparts from Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, they are the least concerned over other such cases involving criminals who have remained fugitive. “The irony of things is that Bhura to nail whom they are sparing nothing is still elusive,” said an observer.  Had police put into use even a part of their resources most of these 25 absconders might have been already behind bars, he added.

The district police departments had transferred around 25 cases involving criminals with rewards hanging over them to Special Task Force, Uttarakhand.  However, they are still stumbling in the darkness about their whereabouts. Most of these criminals were involved in murders and loots committed in various districts of the State.

STF Uttarakhand received around 15 such cases from Haridwar district while three from Dehradun and six from Udham Singh Nagar, one each from Pithoragarh and Almora districts. As per the report, the State police had announced bounty of Rs10,000 each on Viddan, native of Fatehpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Wazir, native of Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh).

Reports revealed that Rs5000 has been announced by the State police on criminals — Deepak alias Goga, native of Dehradun, Shakeel alias Pahalwan, native of Muzaffarnagar, Pervez, native of Haridwar, Islam, native of Meerut, Hariraz, native of Muzaffarnagar, Rakesh, native of Muzaffarnagar, Chhote, native of Shahjahanpur, Rakesh, native of Muzaffarnagar.

Moreover, the police had announced bounty of Rs2, 500 on criminals — Pappu alias Sunil, native of Meerut, Gulfam, native of Muzaffarnagar, Prempal, resident of Udham Singh Nagar, Brij Mohan, resident of Dehradun, Rahat, native of Udham Singh Nagar, Vedram, native of Shahjahanpur, Balbeer, native of Shahjanahpur, Pravez, native of Moradabad, Raju Painter alias Naim, native of Bareilly, Sonu alias Dbirendra, native of Bareilly, Hari, resident of Haridwar, Gulfam, native of Muzaffarnagar and Pappu alias Sunil, native of Meerut.

A bounty of Rs2,000 has been announced by police on Jamal khan, native of Roorkee while Rs1,500 on Ansari, native of Moradabad. STF Uttarakhand Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Ajay Prakash Anshuman said teams have been formed to nail the absconders.

They are engaged in their work and success would come soon. Based on received information during investigation, the phone numbers of the absconders are being put on surveillance and the officers concerned are monitoring things effectively.  The available information reveals that the teams are being sent to specific locations from time to time to arrest the criminals, he claimed.