Absconding criminal campaigned in UP polls

Raisen (MP), May 7 (UNI) Notorious gangster Mukhtyar Mallick, who surreptitiously absconded from the High Court at Jabalpur after being convicted in the Bhopal court shoot-out case, surrendered at the district court here today.

He surrendered before First Class Judicial Magistrate Roopam Bedi followed pressure mounted by the police through detention of his wife and cousin and initiating proceedings for attachment of the property of Mallick, who carried a reward of Rs 20,000.

Mallick was sent to jail on the directions by the court.

In a brief interaction with reporters, Mallick claimed that he had fled to Uttar Pradesh and campaigned for a political party's candidate, Mangalam, in Raneni village. However, he escaped from there after he learnt that a STF team reached there.

He said he was at Agaria village in Raisen district since the past three days.

Mallick said he would appeal against the High Court verdict in the Supreme court.

On March 30, the High Court had convicted all 11 accused in the shoot-out, involving the gangs of Mallick and Munne Painter, in which three people were killed and few injured eleven years ago.

Immediately after the High Court pronounced their conviction, the main accused - Mallick, Painter and Sajid- absconded, while the police managed to keep other convicts in their custody.

On April 3, the High Court sentenced Mallick and his associate Sajid Mamu to death by hanging, while nine others, including Munne Painter, were awarded life sentence.

Munne Painter had already surrendered in a Bhopal court. Police had launched a vigorous search for Mallick at Jabalpur, Bhopal and his home district Raisen.

UNI