Dreaded criminal killed in encounter in UP’s Pratapgarh

A criminal wanted in several cases of murder was gunned down by a team of Uttar Pradesh police’s Special Task Force (STF) after an early morning gun battle in Pratapgarh district on Thursday, officials said.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) of the task force Abhishek Singh said the encounter started in Pratapgarh’s city area when a team from STF headquarters in Lucknow reached there looking for Tauqir after being tipped off about his presence.

Singh said Tauqir, wanted for multiple incidents of crime, was killed in the retaliatory firing by the police team while one of his unidentified accomplices managed to escape.

The senior police official said Tauqir has been named in multiple cases of murder, attempt to murder, dacoity and extortion. Tauqir was also involved in the killing of a marble trader Rajesh Singh, jail warden Har Narayan Trivedi and village Pradhan Dinesh Dubey in Pratapgarh. He carried a reward of ₹1 lakh on his head.

He said the STF recovered three weapons, including a .30 calibre carbine and two .32 calibre pistols, from him.

Tauqir’s elder brother Zaid is lodged in the district jail in Pratapgarh for multiple cases of murder and extortion.

A senior police official said Zaid sent a message to an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer threatening him with dire consequences after coming to know that the police is looking for his brother.