A joint team of the Haryana and Uttar Pradesh (UP) police killed dreaded gangster Balraj Bhati in an encounter in Noida's sector 41 area on Monday morning. Bhati was a resident of Bulandshahar district in Western UP and was a member of dreaded Sunder Bhati gang. He carried a reward of Rs 2.5 lakh on his head and that included Rs 1 lakh each from Haryana and Delhi Police and Rs 50,000 from the UP Police.
The encounter took place in Baraula area after Special Task Forces (STFs) of the UP and Haryana police intercepted a car and were fired upon by the vehicle's occupant, Superintendent of Police (SP), UP-STF (West), Rajiv Narain Mishra, said. Two head constables of Haryana police were injured in the encounter. A man and a 7-year-old boy were also injured in the firing, Mishra said.
Acting on specific input regarding the wanted criminal Balraj Bhati, STF teams under Assistant Commissioner Police (ACP) Rahul Dev of Haryana police with his team member reached Noida around 9.30 am and took the help of the Noida Police and waited for his Swift car at Sector 37 overbridge.
According to the police, Bhati and his two accomplices were chased by joint teams of STF of the Haryana Police and Uttar Pradesh and the local police.
When Bhati arrived near Sector-37 over bridge Noida to collect extortion money in a Swift car where, he was intercepted by the joint police teams near the traffic crossing of Sector 49/41 at around 11.30 am.
Bhati and his chorts were asked to surrender they started firing at police. The teams chased his vehicle and when he reached Sec 49 crossing, his car was rendered immobile after police party deflated the tyre by firing at the wheels.
"The three accused including Balraj Bhati tried to flee the scene leaving the car behind while firing at the police party. The police teams also chased them. One of the teams was behind Bhati who was firing nonstop and he climbed on rooftop and kept firing, in which two civilians and two of Head constables were injured," said Saurabh Singh, the officer in charge of STF.
"Thereafter Bhati entered a plot behind Bikaner Sweets Shop from where he climbed a wall to reach the terrace but he could not escape as the STF officers chased him till he reached the terrace and in exchange of fire ensued, killing Balraj on spot," the police, said.
The other two criminals allegedly fled the spot. The police have recovered a 9 mm pistol from the spot.
Bhati was involved in several cases of robbery, murder and kidnapping in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the officer said.
The Delhi Police had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his arrest and the Uttar Pradesh Police Rs 50,000. His family members are also involved in criminal activities, police said. Balarj was also involved in the killing of Vijay Bhati, a former chairman of the Dadri Municipal Corporation, they said.
The officer said as per information, Balraj and his gang's members had made plans to kill the jailor of the Bulandshahr prison, police said. He had an altercation with the jailor when he was an inmate there, they said.