East Singhbhum, March 30 (H.S.):

A joint operation by the UP STF and Jharkhand Police led to the death of shooter Anuj Kanojia, linked to the Mukhtar Ansari gang, during an encounter in East Singhbhum (Jamshedpur) late Saturday night. The clash occurred at Janata Market, where over 25 rounds were exchanged. DSP Dharmesh Kumar Shahi of the STF was injured and admitted to TMH.

The police had recently announced a reward of Rs. 2.5 lakh for information on Kanojia’s arrest, who had been hiding in Jamshedpur after fleeing Uttar Pradesh. Upon being surrounded, Kanojia opened fire at the police, prompting a retaliatory response that resulted in his death. He was wanted in over two dozen cases, including murder and robbery, mostly from Mau district, where he originally came from.

ADG Amitabh Yash reported that the UP team, assisted by the Jharkhand ATS, tracked him to Amaltas City. Despite warnings to surrender, Kanojia continued shooting at the police from his hideout, which led to the intervention. Authorities indicated he had been frequently changing locations to evade capture.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar