2 men wanted for dacoity held by UP STF

Two Bawaria gang members, wanted in multiple cases of dacoity in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, have been arrested following a gunfight with police personnel, officials said on Saturday.

The accused were held late Friday night in the Dadri area of Gautam Buddh Nagar after a shootout with the Noida unit of the Special Task Force (STF) of UP Police, a senior official said.

"Accused Rakhi Singh, alias Rahul, and Bhaal Singh had carried out a dacoity in a village in Mathura in 2015. They had struck a block head's house and opened fire at an elderly woman, leaving her severely wounded. They had also shot at two brothers of the block head," Deputy Superintendent of Police, STF, Raj Kumar Mishra said.

"Further, while fleeing the village, they had opened indiscriminate firing, wounding a couple of men and women too," he said.

A case under IPC sections 395 (dacoity) and 307 (attempted murder) was registered against them in Mathura and Rs 50,000 announced as reward for their arrest, Mishra said.

The STF officer said besides this case, Rakhi was wanted for at least half a dozen dacoities in and around Rajasthan's Bharatpur district.

"Rakhi has been active since 2009 and has a long criminal history. But this is the first time ever that he has been arrested," Mishra said.

Two firearms, ammunition, face masks, lock cutter and surgical gloves are among other items recovered from the duo, he said, adding that they are in police custody and further proceedings are underway.