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Lawrence Bishnoi gang’s sharpshooter Naveen Kumar killed in police encounter in UP

Kumar, a resident of Loni in Ghaziabad district, was wanted in multiple cases including murder and kidnapping

A member and a sharpshooter of the notorious Lawrence Bishnoi gang was gunned down in an encounter with police in Utttar Pradesh on Wednesday night.

The deceased was identified as Naveen Kumar, who was wanted in multiple cases including murder and kidnapping.

The encounter took place during a joint operation by the Noida Unit of the Special Task Force and the Special Cell of the Delhi Police targeting criminals in the Kotwali police station area of Hapur.

Kumar suffered serious bullet injuries and was rushed to a hospital where  doctors declared him dead.

Kumar, who hails from Loni in Ghaziabad district, was an active sharpshooter of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and had worked closely with Hashim Baba, another high ranking gang member, ADGP (STF) Amitabh Yash said.

As many as 20 cases, including for murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, robbery and under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), were registered against Kumar in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

He had been convicted in two cases by Delhi courts.

In a similar incident earlier in the day, Bhupendra Gwalah, a wanted criminal, was injured after being shot at in an encounter with Jhansi Police.

Gwalah was spotted on a motorcycle when the police were conducting a check. As he saw the police, he opened fire and ran towards the jungle, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Rural Jhansi, Arvind Kumar, said.