In 2 days, 24 criminals arrested in 15 encounters from across Uttar Pradesh

LUCKNOW: Intensifying its crackdown on criminals, the Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested twenty four criminals in 15 encounters in different districts of the state during the past two days.

The encounters took place in Bulandshahr, Shamli, Kanpur, Saharanpur, Lucknow, Baghpat, Muzaffarnagar, Gorkahpur, Hapur and Meerut. "As many as 24 wanted criminals were arrested and one gangster killed in 15 police encounters reported from 10 districts of the state over a span of 48 hours," a police spokesperson said.

The Special Task Force also gunned down gangster Inderpal, who carried a reward of Rs 25,000, in an encounter in Naglakhepad jungle. Inderpal was wanted in over 30 cases of loot and murder in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Apart from cash, countrymade arms, ammunition, motorcycle, have also been recovered from the criminals.

The maximum number of encounters were conducted in Bulandshahr and Shamli in which four and six criminals were arrested respectively.

Two suspected criminals and two policemen, including a station house officer, were injured in an encounter in Gorakhpur. The incident took place when two suspected criminals - Maneesh Yadav and Manoj Yadav - were escaping after threatening a village head. Police caught the duo in an encounter in which Station House Officer, Khorabar, Sudhir Kumar, and Sub-Inspector, Jhangha, Sunil Kumar Singh suffered minor injuries.

Police claimed that the two have confessed to their involvement in the murder of businessman Dinesh Gupta of Nai Bazaar, Jhangha, in Gorakhpur on Sunday.

The Uttar Pradesh Police is acting tough against criminals after the new DGP OP Singh took charge last month. Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath had also vowed to take strict action against the criminals after his government faced criticism over a string of crimes in the state.