Etah (UP), Oct 27 A 43-year-old criminal carrying a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh died from injuries sustained during an encounter with police in Uttar Pradesh’s Etah on Tuesday evening, a senior police official said.
A police constable was also injured in the encounter and is currently undergoing treatment at Veerangana Avanti Bai Lodhi Autonomous State Medical College (VALASMC) in Etah, police said.
The deceased criminal has been identified as Virendra (43), whose name recently surfaced in connection with the robbery of a jeweller, police said, adding that 53 cases are registered against him.
An accomplice of the deceased criminal managed to escape from the scene, and efforts are underway to apprehend the absconding suspect, police said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Etah, Elamaran G, said that on October 22, three men arrived in a blue vehicle in Aliganj police station area (in Etah district) and robbed a jeweller of gold and silver ornaments at gunpoint.
Following the incident, police examined CCTV footage and, through surveillance and manual intelligence, identified one of the suspects as Virendra.
Once his name was linked to the robbery, police intensified efforts to apprehend him. However, they were unable to secure his arrest initially, the SSP said.
Initially, a reward of Rs 25,000 was announced at the district level, which was later increased to Rs 50,000 at the range level. On October 25, Additional Director General of Police (ADG) of the Agra zone, SK Bhagat, raised the total reward to Rs 1 lakh.
“An encounter took place between the police and the criminals near the Sunna canal in the Pilua police station area around 6 pm on Tuesday. Virendra sustained gunshot injuries during the encounter and was immediately rushed to Veerangana Avanti Bai Lodhi Autonomous State Medical College (VALASMC) in Etah, where he succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment,” the SSP said.
The officer also informed that Virendra had faced charges related to robbery, dacoity, attempted murder, murder, and violations of the Gangsters Act. With the most recent case involving the robbery of the jewellery shop in Etah, the total number of registered cases against him rose to 53.
These cases were filed in Mainpuri, Etawah, Agra, and Firozabad. He had been released from jail on September 17.
The SSP mentioned that the motorcycle used in the robbery had been stolen from Unnao, and the stolen gold and silver jewellery has not yet been recovered.
A search for the absconding suspect is ongoing, and an investigation is being conducted into the potential involvement of other individuals in the case.
(PTI News)
