A reward-carrying criminal succumbed to bullet wounds during treatment at a hospital in Hapur, a senior police officer said on Sunday.  Manoj Bhati carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh and was shot by police on Saturday.

A resident of Dadri, Bhati was a shooter associated with the Ranveer Bhati gang, and had over 35 cases registered against him, Superintendent of Police Abhishek Verma told reporters.

 “He was wanted in a case pertaining to a shootout outside Hapur court on August 16, 2022, in which Lakhan Singh, who had come from Haryana for a hearing, was shot dead. Cases of murders, extortion and other crimes were registered against him. Police had arrested him yesterday from Haryana. His accomplice Ankit was also arrested,” Verma said.

Bhati was shot on Saturday when he tried to escape during a visit to crime spot.

“He was brought by the police to a highway for recovery of a weapon. Once there, he snatched the pistol of a head constable, and started firing. The police in self-defence fired at him and wounded him. He was taken to a hospital, where he was declared dead,” the SP said, adding that the injured policeman Somveer is also undergoing treatment.

 On August 16, 2022, a history-sheeter from Haryana was shot dead by three people outside the district and sessions court here. Haryana Police Constable too was injured in the incident.

Lakhan, alias Yashpal, 35, was brought from Haryana's Faridabad jail in connection with a case registered against him at the Dhaulana Police Station in Hapur, the then Circle Officer (City), S N Vaibhav Pandey, had earlier told PTI.               Lakhan was a known criminal from Haryana and had a number of cases registered against him, he had

said.