Prayagraj, Aug 7 (IANS) In a high-stakes late-night encounter on Wednesday, a notorious mafia gang member from Jharkhand, Ashish Ranjan alias Chhotu Singh, was gunned down by the Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh in the Shankargarh area of Prayagraj.

The criminal, armed with an AK-47 and a 9 mm pistol, opened fire at the STF team when intercepted, prompting a retaliatory response that led to his death.

Originally from J.C. Malik Road in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, Ashish Ranjan was wanted in multiple murder cases and carried a reward on his head.

Acting on a tip-off that he was planning a major crime near Shivrajpur Chauraha in Shankargarh, STF Inspector J.P. Rai and his team laid an ambush.

When confronted, Ashish Ranjan attempted to flee while firing at the officers, narrowly missing several personnel. He was critically injured in the crossfire and later declared dead at the hospital.

Weapons recovered from the scene included an AK-47, a 9 mm pistol, numerous cartridges, and a motorcycle. Authorities confirmed his involvement in several heinous crimes and praised the STF’s swift action in neutralising the threat.

In another operation, the police and SWAT team had an encounter with Naveed, the main accused in a robbery that occurred on August 4 in the Shikarpur area of Bulandshahr. Naveed was injured in the retaliatory firing and was arrested in a wounded condition before being shifted to the district hospital.

Police recovered over Rs 2.11 lakh in cash, a pistol, live and empty cartridges, a backpack, and a motorcycle from his possession.

Four of Naveed’s accomplices have already been arrested, and law enforcement officials recovered a total of Rs 6.98 lakh from the looted amount, marking a 100 per cent recovery in the case.

–IANS

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