Latest news with #UPSTF
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
Wanted gangster Shahrukh Pathanshot dead by STF
Lucknow: Dreaded gangster and sharpshooter Shahrukh Pathan (35), a key associate of the Sanjeev Jeeva and Mukhtar Ansari gangs, was killed in a late-night encounter by UP STF near Bijopura village in Muzaffarnagar on Monday. SSP, STF, Ghule Sushil Chandrabhan said that Pathan, who had a long history of executing violent crimes, was intercepted while he was travelling in an SUV with no registration plate. "Acting on intelligence inputs that he was planning a major attack and threatening a witness in an ongoing murder trial, the teams, with support staff including head constables and official vehicles, reached Bijopura and began checking vehicles approaching from Rohana. They spotted a suspicious SUV and signalled it to stop. Instead of halting, the driver attempted to flee but lost control after which the vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a ditch," he said. Chandrabhan added that as the STF teams closed in, a man alighted from the driver's seat and opened fire on the police with the intention to kill. "STF retaliated with controlled and professional firing. In the exchange, the gunman, later identified as Shahrukh Pathan, was critically injured. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is it legal? How to get Internet without paying a subscription? Techno Mag Learn More Undo He was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead," he said. An Italian-made Beretta pistol (.30 bore), an Indian Ordnance revolver (.32 bore), a country-made pistol (9mm), seven live rounds of 9mm, 10 live rounds of .32 bore, 47 live rounds of .30 bore, six used cartridges (.32 bore), and a white SUV (unregistered) were recovered. Pathan, a resident of Khalapar in Muzaffarnagar, was wanted in multiple serious criminal cases and had been threatening witnesses in murder cases to derail court proceedings. Pathan took up criminal activities after meeting local criminals like Sobie. In 2015, Pathan and Sobie murdered Asif Zyada inside Muzaffarnagar railway station while he was being escorted by the police from Naini Jail for a court hearing.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Time of India
UP sharpshooter linked to Mukhtar Ansari & gangster Sanjeev Jeeva dies in encounter
Agra: A dreaded sharpshooter linked to gangs of slain gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari and Sanjeev Jeeva who was wanted in cases of murder, jailbreak, extortion and threats to witnesses in UP and Uttarakhand, died during a police encounter with a UP special task force (STF) team around 1am in Muzaffarnagar on Monday. He was out on bail for the past six months but wanted in a fresh case registered in Sambhal. Police said Shahrukh Pathan, 34, from Muzaffarnagar, was a trusted sharpshooter of the Jeeva gang, and while in prison, he also came in contact with Ansari's gang members. Pathan was recently wanted in Sambhal for allegedly threatening and trying to kill witnesses in a murder case. "The local police and STF teams were looking for him for a while in the fresh case. Early on Monday, based on intelligence inputs, a UP STF team stopped a car near the city's outskirts and Pathan, who was believed to be alone in the vehicle, opened fire. An encounter then broke out in which he was injured. We took him to Muzaffarnagar's district hospital, where he died during treatment," said SSP Sushil Ghule of UP STF. He added: "Over a dozen cases were registered against him in the past. Out of these, three are murder cases, and others are under the Gangster Act." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like She Took 1 Teaspoon Before Bed – Her Belly Was Gone in a Week Hollywood News | USA Click Here Undo Monday's encounter took place on the stretch leading to the district's Bijopur village on Chappar-Rohana road under Chappar limits and the STF found a pistol, a revolver, a country-made pistol, over 50 cartridges and a car without a number plate, police said. Pathan's criminal history goes back to 2015. He allegedly killed a man named Asif Zaida in police custody in Muzaffarnagar that year. Zaida was being brought from a Prayagraj jail to Muzaffarnagar for court hearing in a murder case at that time. After being arrested, Pathan came in contact with Jeeva and members of Ansari's gang in jail, and began formally working for the former. In 2016, he escaped from police custody in Muzaffarnagar while returning from a court trial. On the run, he killed Amit Dixit alias Goldie, a blanket trader, in Haridwar -- under Jeeva's instructions -- in 2017. A murder case was registered against him in Haridwar. Later that year, he killed Zaida's father, Yasin, a key witness in the Zaida murder case in Muzaffarnagar. UP police thereafter announced a Rs 50,000 bounty on him. Pathan was re-arrested and sent to jail in Uttarakhand. He was sentenced to life term along with Jeeva in the Goldie murder case, and later got bail. Notably, Jeeva was shot dead during a court hearing in Lucknow in 2023.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Time of India
STF busts fake email syndicate, nabs two for education fraud & extortion
Lucknow: The UPSTF on Wednesday busted a cyber fraud syndicate that created fake email IDs in the names of STF and education department officials to send forged notices to Basic Shiksha Adhikaris (BSAs), DIOSs and exam controllers to extract sensitive information and extort money. Two key accused—Bajrangi Lal Gupta of Prayagraj and Jaiprakash Tiwari of Fatehpur—were arrested and three fake official seals, two mobile phones, a tablet, dozens of forged documents and signed letters seized. Fake certificates from Veer Bahadur Purvanchal University, Jaunpur, were also found. An STF team launched surveillance after the DIOS of Kaushambi received a suspicious notice asking for confidential records of teachers. Daily follow-up calls from unknown numbers increased pressure to comply. The STF team tracked the suspects to Shantipuram, Phaphamau (Prayagraj). STF additional SP Raj Kumar Mishra said the accused created fake letterheads, seals and forged email IDs impersonating senior officials of the STF and education departments. "Bajrangi, who was dismissed from a govt teaching job over fake mark sheets, masterminded the operation. He collaborated with Jaiprakash Tiwari, a typist with links to the BSA office in Fatehpur, to forge documents and extort money from teachers by threatening dismissal or promising reinstatement through fake university certificates," said Mishra. STF said Bajrangi, after completing his MEd in 2012, was hired as a teacher in Kaushambi but was terminated for using forged mark sheets. Since then, he was involved in multiple recruitment frauds. He has six criminal cases registered in Pratapgarh, Bhadohi and Jhansi. Jaiprakash Tiwari, whose father was a driver at the BSA office in Fatehpur, began working unofficially as a typist in the same office, where he met Bajrangi. He admitted to preparing forged letters and notices at Bajrangi's request. STF investigations have earlier led to the dismissal of four teachers in Prayagraj based on forged documents linked to this network. The arrested duo attempted to reverse those dismissals using counterfeit certificates. A fresh FIR has been registered at Manjhanpur police station, Kaushambi and further probe was on.
Hindustan Times
08-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Manhunt for serial killer Sohrab expands to Nepal border
A multi-state hunt has been launched for Sohrab, a notorious serial killer from Lucknow who was previously lodged in Tihar Jail, New Delhi, and went missing after failing to return following the expiry of his parole. Security agencies across Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and along the Indo-Nepal border are searching for the accused, said officials on Monday. Security agencies across Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and along the Indo-Nepal border are searching for the accused, sohrab, said officials on Monday. (Sourced) Sohrab and his brothers, Saleem and Rustam, both currently lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail, are natives of Sadar Bazaar in the Cantt police station area. Police records link the trio to a string of violent crimes in the state capital, with Sohrab allegedly leading many of these operations. Acting on intelligence inputs suggesting Sohrab may be attempting to flee to Nepal, the Special Task Force (STF) has intensified operations in Moradabad, Meerut, Ghaziabad, and across the Nepal border. Raids are underway at multiple suspected hideouts, and teams from the UP STF, Delhi Police, and intelligence agencies are jointly coordinating the search. Sohrab's wife, Sanno, along with several other family members, has been questioned. STF sources indicated that during his absconding period, Sohrab allegedly extorted money from individuals across various cities. Three dedicated STF teams have been assigned to track him. 'Raids are continuing and operations will remain active until his arrest,' an STF official said, without disclosing further details. Sohrab's criminal record includes cases from 2005 and 2006, with police alleging his role in multiple murders. One such case occurred on Eid, when three people were allegedly gunned down by Sohrab and his aides, just a year after a similar killing was reported on Ramzan eve. Police officials claimed that before one of these murders, they received a threatening call from Sohrab warning them to 'stop if you can.' Amid growing concerns over his disappearance, Gopal Sharma, a key eyewitness in one of the murder cases, has sought protection from chief minister Yogi Adityanath. In a letter addressed to the CM, Sharma wrote, 'If criminals like Sohrab roam freely, we witnesses are under threat.'
Time of India
06-07-2025
- Time of India
Notorious serial killer Sohrab flees during parole; travels to Nepal
Lucknow: Sohrab, the notorious serial killer who was in Tihar jail for years, has absconded from parole and could have travelled to Nepal via Moradabad, according to intelligence received by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF). The Delhi Police, which was alerted after Sohrab failed to return to Tihar Jail post-parole, launched a manhunt and issued alerts to the UP STF and multiple state police forces. Sohrab, along with his brothers Salim and Rustam, has long instilled fear in Lucknow and other parts of the country. All three have been lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail for years. Sohrab was granted parole recently, which reportedly ended on July 1. However, he failed to return to prison, triggering a major security concern. Sources in the UP STF revealed that Sohrab, accompanied by his wife, visited Moradabad and then crossed into Nepal. The STF suspects he may be planning to expand or reorganise his criminal network, which already has deep links in Nepal. Investigators are now scanning call records of his close associates and tracking his movement in NCR and border areas. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The trio has a long history of brutal crimes. In 2004, after their youngest brother Shehzade was murdered in Hussain Ganj during Ramzan, they avenged his death a year later by killing three individuals within an hour across different parts of Lucknow. Before executing the killings, they even called the then SSP Ashutosh Pandey, daring him to stop them. Their criminal record includes daylight robberies in Delhi jewellery showrooms, politically motivated killings, and extortion from businessmen in Lucknow under the guise of collecting "shelter money." The brothers are known to have run their criminal syndicate from inside Tihar Jail through video calls and encrypted communications. Several murders were reportedly executed on their orders through hired killers, said a senior officer in UP police.
