Bihar based wanted criminal gunned down in Varanasi

Varanasi, Aug 27 (UNI) A Bihar-based wanted criminal, member of the Vinit Singh gang of East Uttar Pradesh, was gunned down by the police in an encounter in the Lanka area here early today.

Senior Police Superintendent Ashutosh Pandey told newspersons here that Akhilesh Bind, a wanted criminal originally hailing from Nalanda (Bihar) was killed in an early morning encounter with the Special Operation Group (SOG) of District Police in the Dafi area under Lanka police station.

Acting on specific tip off that Vinit Singh gang, now working from Bihar with criminals armed with sophisticated weapons was planning to eliminate a businessman in Varanasi, the police intercepted an MUV in the Dafi area during routine check.

On being asked to stop, the driver sped the MUV, only to be chased by the police. The occupants of the MUV later started firing on the police team, which was returned. In the gunfire, one criminal was killed while others managed to escape, the SSP added.

The slain criminal was later identified as Akhilesh Bind wanted in connection with many cases including an attack and robbery of five rifles from the Khusropur police outpost in Patna in 2020. An INSAS rifle and a factory made pistol have been seized from the spot, Mr Pandey said.

In another encounter, a criminal -- carrying a reward of Rs 5,000 on his head -- who had managed to escape from police custody yesterday was gunned down last night by the cops in the Industrial Estate area of Mughalsarai Kotwali in neighbouring Chandauli d UNI ARS YA KN1630