Sapola dacoit killed in UP encounter

Lucknow, Nov 29: The state police today shot dead dreaded dacoit Satpal alias Sapola in an encounter early today on the ravines on Uttar Pradesh-Madhya Pradesh border.

DIG (Kanpur Range) Daljit Singh said in Etawah the encounter took place at about 0700 hrs at Bachera Ravines.

Sapola was killed on the spot while efforts were on to track down his injured associates. ''As of now, we have found the body of Sapola...combing operations were on to track down his associates,'' he said.

A 12 bore gun and two other rifles were recovered along with 100 rounds of ammunition.

He carried a reward of Rs 1.20 lakh on his head. Uttar Pradesh announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh while the Madhya Pradesh had announced Rs 20,000 rewerd on his head.

This is the third major breakthrough for UP police's controversial anti-dacoit operations. In November last year, police had shot dead elusive bandit Nirbhay Singh Gujjar in Cheetapur ravines in Etawah. With as many as 205 criminal cases registered against him, Gujjar carried a cash reward of Rs 2.5 lakh on his head announced by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh police.

Close on the heals of Gujjar, police managed to eliminate another dacoit, Kallua in January this year in Bareilly district of the state.

Kallua was killed in a combined operation conducted by police teams from Bareilly, Badaun and other neighbouring districts near Kateri under Fatehganj (East) police station.

UNI