Amazing it may sound but the State police had given `death certificate’ of notorious dacoit Sudesh Patel alias Balkhariya carrying cash reward of Rs 6 lakh just on basis of some photographs and inputs collected through electronic surveillance.
They had yet to recover his body or any other evidence which corroborate the police theory but the cops declared the most wanted king of ravines as `dead’. The senior police officers had also appreciated the `outstanding’ achievement of the police team which was involved in the encounter in a Jungle of Chitrakoot on July 2 last.
Disclosing that the dacoit who was injured in the cross-fire with the cops of Chitrakoot police on July 2 last was Sudesh Patel aka Balkhariya, Inspector General of police (IGP), Allahabad Zone, Brij Bhushan Sharma at a press conference here in Allahabad on Wednesday evening said that Balkhariya, who sustained bullet injuries in an encounter with the police which took place in the jungles Righuria situated near Bhandabhitar Kaulam village on the border of Chitrakoot-Banda on July 2 last, died a couple of days back.
Sharma said that the basis of their claimed that Balkhariya was `dead’ is based on the photographs which is in their possession. The photographs show that the dacoit was injured and was treated by a doctor and he died during the course of treatment. The photographs also show that his body of the dacoit was consigned to flames. Police is also in possession of a chip which contained the photographs of the dacoit.
Sharma said that on the basis of surveillance that the dacoit Balkhariya is hiding in the jungle along with his gang, the cops of the Markundi police station, gheraoed him and opened fire on July 2 last. The encounter between the police and the dacoits lasted for more than two hours. Three persons, including two constables, Kailash Singh Yadav and Pushpendra Kumar and an police informer, Sunder Yadav sustained injuries. In the meantime, the SP Chitrakoot, Pawan Kumar reached there along with police re-inforcement and anti-dacoity team and fired at the dacoits.
It is said that Balkhariya sustained bullet injuries. The gang members took the injured dacoit to a safer place and fled away. After sometime, firing from the other side stopped. Police launched search operations but in vain. The death of gang leader, Balkhariya, was confirmed after a computerised chip which showed that the dacoit was injured, treated, died and consigned to flames has been received by the police, Sharma claimed.
The IGP said that earlier also three attempts were made by police to nab the dacoit but in vain. Police is on the look out for the members of the 12 members of the gang and hoped to arrest them soon. Balkhariya was carrying reward of Rs 5 lakh from Uttar Pradesh while Madhya Pradesh police announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh.