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‘Veerapan of North’ gunned down

Atiq Khan

Dadua meets his nemesis at the hands of Special Task Force of U.P. police in Ahleua jungles

Photo: PTI

The scene of encounter: Bodies of Shiv Kumar alias ‘Dadua’ (foreground) and his accomplices lying in the jungles of Ahleua in Chitrakoot on Sunday.

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh’s most wanted dacoit, Shiv Kumar alias Dadua, often referred to as “Veerapan of North India”, finally met his nemesis at the hands of the Special Task Force of the Uttar Pradesh Police in Ahleua jungles in Chitrakoot district on Sunday morning.

The dreaded brigand, wanted in about 50 cases of loot, dacoity, murder and kidnapping for ransom carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head. Dadua was gunned down along with five of his accomplices near Jhalmal hamlet under Manikpur police station area in an encounter with the STF, which commenced at around 8.30 a.m. and continued till 10 a.m. Four other Dadua gang members, including Chhotey Patel, who carried a reward of Rs 20,000, were killed in Kusmuhi jungles under the Markundi police station, late Saturday night by the STF, about 50 kilometres from the spot were Dadua was killed.

When the STF operation ended on Sunday morning, 10 dacoits, including the dreaded desperado, had been eliminated.

The 22-member crack STF team was led by the SSP of the Task Force, Amitabh Yash. Talking to The Hindu from Manikpur police station in Chitrakoot, Mr. Yash attributed his team’s success to planning, gathering information of Dad ua’s movement through a select group of informers and psychological warfare. “We finally managed to infiltrate his network and this came in handy to track him down”, the STF SSP said over the phone.

In fact, the STF had stepped up the “Operation Dadua” shortly after the Mayawati Government came to power. This led to the arrest of Dadua’s brother, Bal Kumar, in Rae Bareli in June.

In Lucknow, the Director General of Police, Vikram Singh told a news conference that Dadua was recognized by the gram pradhan of Jhalmal hamlet and the villagers.

Barring a computer sketch, the police department had no photograph of the brigand. However, information gathered by The Hindu from the Chitrakoot police during the Assembly elections revealed that Dadua was of masculine built and ca rried a deep gash on his left cheek. When this information regarding the brigand’s identity was cross-checked from the DGP, Mr. Singh said though his face was blown off by the grenade lobbed at him by the STF, he admitted that there was a deep gash on his left cheek.

Mr. Singh said his body will be preserved for two days to enable the villagers from the neighbouring villages to identify him. Recounting the encounter, the DGP said while the dacoits were positioned on a high ground, the STF team led by the SSP was on a low ground. As the 90-miniute encounter ensued, the police team lobbed a hand grenade, which made its fatal impact. Mr. Singh, who returned from the encounter site in the evening, said six dacoits, including the leader were killed. While the STF operation accounted for 10 gang members, including Dadua, 15 other dacoits remained to be settled.

An American Service Rifle, AK-47 cartridges, two live grenades, mobile chargers, mobile phones and double-ply plastic water proof tents specially designed to camouflage them in the jungles were recovered after the encounter.

Aged around 60 years, Dadua’s reign of terror in the jungles of Paatha region in Chitrakoot district and across the border in Madhya Pradesh spanned for a record 35 years – he jumped into the inhospitable region in 1972. In 1975 he had committed his first murderous crime. Since then he had been eluding the police, notwithstanding around Rs 150 crore spent so far on eliminating him.

Dadua’s long and virtually uninterrupted crime life was largely attributed to his caste affiliation. Belonging to the dominant Kurmi Backward Caste, Dadua enjoyed cult status among his kinsmen. From these he selected his gang members and informers. As his clout grew and he became elusive, Dadua dabbled in politics. Ironically, he supported the Bahujan Samaj Party till 2002 Assembly elections and was instrumental in getting the BSP members elected as MLAs from Karvi, Manikpur and Nareni. One of them, Daddu Prasad, is the Rural Development Minister in the Mayawati Government.

After 2002 he switched over his loyalties to Samajwadi Party and during the recent polls issued a firman to the villagers for supporting the SP candidates. However, all his candidates lost at the hands of BSP nominees.

Meanwhile, a reward of Rs 20 lakh has been announced for the STF personnel by the State Government. This includes Rs 10 lakh given by the Chief Minister, Mayawati. Besides, the SSP of STF and his men will be recommended for gallantry medals with the jawans being given out of turn promotion.

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