Nirbhay Gujjar shot dead by STF.

(From The Times of India)

LUCKNOW: In a late evening encounter on Monday, elusive bandit Nirbhay Singh Gujjar was shot dead by the Special Task Force (STF) in Cheetapur ravines under Ajitmal police station of Etawah. With as many as 205 criminal cases registered against him, Gujjar carried a cash reward of Rs 2.5 lakh on his head announced by Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Madhya Pradesh (MP) police.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP), STF, Akhil Kumar who led the ambush team himself had a narrow escape as Nirbhay fired at him. The bullet hit the officer on the chest but his bullet-proof vest saw him unscathed.

Talking to TOI on phone minutes after the counter Akhil Kumar said, "They were a total of five persons apart from Nirbhay and we are now searching if others too have suffered gunshots and can be traced."

The encounter which began around 8.30 pm lasted over an hour and a half. A semi-automatic stengun and a rifle were recovered from the site where Nirbhay was gunned down.

A native of Niyamatpur village under Aayana police station of Etawah, Nirbhay stepped into the ravines way back in 1993 and was on date wanted by police departments of Etawah, Auraiya and Jalaun districts in UP along with those of Bhind and Morena districts of MP.

Following sustained surveillance and specific information about his movement, SSP, STF, along with a crack team of five others including commandoes equipped with night vision devices and fully loaded with firepower zeroed in on Gujjar and his gang around 7 pm.