Engineers' killer shot dead

Basti/Lucknow, Sep 14 (UNI) In a major breakthrough, the Special Task Force (STF) of Uttar Pradesh Police today gunned down a criminal wanted in connection with the killing of two engineers in East UP.

Addressing a joint news conference in the state capital, principal secretary (Home) S K Sinha and state police chief Bua Singh said Banti Singh alias Munikeshwar Singh Bagel was member of a gang which used to extort money from PWD and Irrigation department engineers. ''In the process, two engineers R P Singh and R K Sharma were killed by the gang members,'' the DGP informed.

''The elimination of Banti is part of the police effort to eradicate gangs creating hurdles in the development of East UP,'' said Mr Aggarwal.

He claimed the goon had called up two engineers of PWD in his presence and threatened them.

Two other gang members Ashish Tripathi and Ramesh Pandey had recently been killed in separate encounters. The kingpin, Hanuman Shukla, and two others were in jail. Vinay Tiwari, who was with Banti at the time of the encounter, managed to give cops the slip.

The encounter took place near Khadamsarai village under Chavni police station area, in which the miscreant Banti Singh, a native of Ahirauli village, was killed.

Several cases of murder and loot were pending against him.

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