Uttar Pradesh: Wanted criminal behind murder of Suresh Raina's relatives killed in encounter with Mathura police

Mathura (UP): A wanted criminal carrying a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on his arrest was killed in an encounter with the police in Highway area of Mathura district here in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, police sources said here.

Police sources said that the Mathura police, led by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shailendra Pandey, had an encounter with Fati alias Kadeem in the wee hours on Sunday morning.

"Fati, who sustained a bullet injury in the encounter, was taken to the hospital where doctors declared him dead after examination," they said.

Police sources said that Fati, who was the kingpin of the interstate Chhaimar gang, was wanted by the Mathura police. "The slain criminal, a resident of Garh Mukteshwar in Hapur district, had more than three dozen cases lodged against him in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Jammu Kashmir," they said.

SSP Shailesh Pandey said that information was received from an informer that a hardened criminal of the Chhairmar gang, along with his three accomplices, was seen in a house in the Krishna Kunj colony under the Highway police station.

"Acting on the tip-off, I, along with my team, rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area," he said.

He said that the criminals opened indiscriminate fire on the police team.

"In retaliatory firing, Fati sustained a bullet injury and was taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead. Rest of the criminals fled from the spot and combing is being done to arrest them," he said.

Police sources said that on August 19, 2020, this gang had killed Indian cricketer Suresh Raina's uncle Ashok Kumar, his wife Asha Devi and son Kaushal Kumar. "Fati was wanted since then. In the year 2023, Muzaffarpur police killed his accomplice Rashid in an encounter," they said.