Lawrence Bishnoi Gang's Sharpshooter Killed In Police Encounter In Hapur (image-X/aapka_vineet)

Hapur, Uttar Pradesh: Naveen Kumar, a notorious sharpshooter of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, was shot dead in an encounter with a joint team of the Uttar Pradesh Police’s Special Task Force (STF) and Delhi Police in the Hapur Kotwali area late Wednesday night, officials confirmed.

Kumar, a resident of Loni in Ghaziabad, had over 20 criminal cases registered against him in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, including murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, and robbery.

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He was also charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

ADGP (STF) Amitabh Yash stated that Kumar was seriously injured in a gunfight and later succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital.

The joint operation, conducted by the STF’s Noida unit and Delhi Police’s Special Cell, was part of an ongoing crackdown on organised crime networks.

A second police officer called Kumar’s killing a major success in a crackdown on organised crime. “…sends a clear message to criminal networks operating in northern India. We are committed to dismantling these gangs and ensuring the safety of citizens,” said the officer. Police said Kumar’s killing is expected to disrupt Lawrence Bishnoi gang’s operations and networks.

Kumar, who was closely associated with fellow gang member Hashim Baba, had been evading arrest for years.

His criminal record dates back to 2008, when he was first booked under the Arms Act at Delhi’s Seemapuri police station. In 2009, he allegedly committed a murder in the Sahibabad area and was subsequently booked under the Gangster Act in 2010.

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Jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s brother, Anmol Bishnoi, operates the gang from Canada and the United States. The gang has been accused of attacks, including on actor Salman Khan. A suspected member of the gang claimed responsibility for the murder of Nationalist Congress Party leader Baba Siddique in Mumbai last year.

The gang is spread across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Jharkhand.