2 separate encounters in Gr Noida

Greater Noida: In two separate late night encounters from two police station areas of Greater Noida, three criminals including a sharp shooter who carried reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head has been arrested by police. While in another encounter two accused who were wanted in a robbery incident in Dadri were also arrested.

In first police encounter which was led by a joint operation of Noida Special Task Force (STF) unit and Surajpur police, a sharp shooter of Randeep Bhati-Anil Dujana gang identified as Manoj Bhati (42) alias Rahul, a native of Dadri area, was arrested from Surajpur on late Wednesday night.

Cops said that the accused was wanted in nearly three dozen cases of heinous crimes including seven murder cases.

"Manoj is an active member of dreaded criminal Randeep Bhati's gang and has committed nearly three dozen incidents of heinous crimes since 2001. On Wednesday night, police got tip-off about the movement of accused and we intercepted him when he was travelling on a motorcycle in Surajpur area. When police signalled him to stop, he tried to run away but his motorcycle skidded and he opened fire on police. Police had to retaliate and during cross firing, Manoj and a police constable sustained bullet injuries. Both were rushed to a nearby hospital and their condition is stable," said Raj Kumar, Mishra, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Noida STF.

The officer further said that in 2011 Manoj along with his gang members had opened indiscriminate firing at a marriage ceremony in order to kill their rival gang members of Sunder Bhati gang where four persons were killed during firing. In another, Dadri police have arrested two wanted criminals who were involved in the Rs 9 lakhs cash loot from a distributor of Rajnigandha company.

Cops said that the arrested accused have been identified as Subodh Kumar and Pawan, both residents of Ghaziabad district.