VARANASI/ LUCKNOW: A dreaded criminal carrying a bounty of Rs 1 lakh on his head was killed during an exchange of fire between him and Jaunpur police under Badlapur police station on Friday night. A police constable Ajay Singh also sustained gunshot injuries and is under treatment at the district hospital.
According to the police, Vinod Kumar Singh, 36, was named in 25 cases, including one of murder, six cases of attempt to murder, and eight cases of extortion along with robbery and those under the Arms Act. Active since 2004, Singh used to recruit unemployed youths in their early 20s in his gang for carrying out operations, the police said.
Police said Vinod Kumar Singh’s name spelt terror in eastern Uttar Pradesh for the last few years and he used to seek extortion, mainly from doctors. Jaunpur police also said that his crime record in other adjoining districts was also being rummaged.
Jaunpur SSP Ajay Sahni said that Singh was in the city to extort money from a surgeon when the cops were tipped off about his presence near Deoria village of Badlapur police station area.
“The team laid a trap, and the miscreant was cornered between Pili nadi police outpost and Badlapur road. He was asked to surrender but he opened fire at the police team, following which, constable Ajay suffered gunshot. In the retaliatory fire by the police team, Sigh was shot and he slumped to the ground. Both the miscreant and the cop were later taken to local Sadar hospital where doctors declared Vinod dead,” the SSP said.
The police recovered a 9 mm carbine, 2 country-made pistols, a motorcycle and a huge quantity of live cartridges from the accused.
