A wanted criminal carrying a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on his arrest was killed in an encounter with the police in the highway area of Mathura district on Sunday.
A team of Mathura police led by Senior Superintendent of Police Shailendra Pandey, killed wanted gangster Fati alias Asad in an encounter in the wee hours of Sunday. In the exchange of fire, Asad sustained bullet injuries and was rushed to a hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.
Sources in the UP Police said that on August 19, 2020, the Asad gang had killed Indian cricketer Suresh Raina’s uncle Ashok Kumar, aunt Asha Devi and their son Kaushal Kumar.
“Asad was wanted by the police since then. In 2023, the Muzaffarpur police had killed Asad’s accomplice Rashid in an encounter,” they said.
Asad, who was the kingpin of the interstate Chhaimar gang, was wanted by the Mathura police. “The slain criminal, a native of Garh Mukteshwar in Hapur district, had more than three dozen cases registered against him in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab,and Jammu Kashmir,” the sources said.
SSP Shailesh Pandey said that information was received from an informer that a hardened criminal of the Chhaimar gang, along with his three accomplices, was seen in a house in the Krishna Kunj Colony under the highway police station.
“Acting on the tip-off, I, along with my team, rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area,” he said.
The SSP said that on seeing the police team, the criminals opened indiscriminate fire on the cops.
“In the retaliatory firing, Asad sustained a bullet injury and was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Rest of the criminals fled from the spot and combing is being done to arrest them,” he said.
It may be mentioned that on August 19, 2020, three people, including cricketer Suresh Raina’s aunt and uncle, were murdered by the Chhaimar gang for robbery in Pathankot. The police had also announced a reward of Rs 50,000 on Rashid alias Sipai, an accomplice of notorious criminal Asad. A month later, the police killed the main murder accused Rashid in an encounter on Soram-Goyla road. The search for Asad was on.
Pandey said that on August 19, 2020, Chhaimar gang chief Asad had prepared the entire plan for robbery in Pathankot. After this, his accomplice Rashid raided the house of cricketer Suresh Raina’s aunt and uncle. When they opposed the robbery, Rashid seriously injured Suresh Raina’s uncle Ashok Kumar, aunt Asha and cousin brother Kaushal Kumar. Raina’s uncle Ashok died on the spot, while aunt Asha and brother Kaushal died in the hospital.
Two miscreants related to this case were caught by the city Kotwali police during an encounter in Kidwai Nagar on September 19, 2022. One miscreant was identified as Kaka alias Golu alias Shahjan, of Dhalapada village slum in Thana Gangoh, district Saharanpur, while the other miscreant was Talib alias Faijan alias Asim of Moradabad Peepal Sana. The name of Rashid came to the fore in the police investigation. He was absconding and a reward of Rs 50,000 was announced on his arrest.
On April 1, 2023, Rashid was injured in an encounter with the police and the Special Operation Group (SOG) in Shahpur police station area. He was taken to Shahpur community health centre where doctors pronounced him dead.
