This is an archive article published on September 24, 2024
22-year-old killed in UP encounter was nabbed by Surat police last year – in another robbery case
Anuj Pratap Singh, killed in a police encounter on Monday, and his co-accused Vipin Singh had been arrested in August last year for allegedly robbing Rs 13.26 lakh from the Bank of Maharashtra in Surat’s Vanj village.
Written by Kamal Saiyed
Surat | Updated: September 25, 2024 01:50 AM IST
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The jewellery shop in chowk area of Sultanpur. Express photo
Around five months before he was killed by the UP STF on Monday for his alleged involvement in a robbery case, Anuj Pratap Singh Thakur (22) was in Surat Central Jail in connection with a bank robbery case from last year.
He was released on bail on May 11.
On Monday, UP Special Task Force (STF) killed him in an encounter at Achalganj area in Unnao. An accused in the Sultanpur robbery case, in which a jewellery shop was targeted and Rs 1.5 crore looted on August 28, Thakur was carrying a bounty of Rs 1 lakh on his head, said sources.
Sources said Thakur worked under one Vipin Singh who had surrendered before a UP court. Another accused, Mangesh Yadav, was killed in an encounter by UP police on September 5 while Thakur was absconding.
Both Thakur and Singh were arrested by Surat police crime branch for allegedly carrying out a robbery worth Rs 13.26 lakh from a Bank of Maharashtra branch at Vanj Village near Sachin in Surat on August 11, 2023. Thakur, Singh and three others, armed with pistols, entered the bank premises, held five employees and six customers at gunpoint, and carried out the robbery, Surat police said in a press conference last year.
All the accused escaped on bikes, which were later found in Pandesara area, near Sachin, said police. Following the episode, the bank manager lodged a complaint with Sachin police.
A week later, Surat police, on August 18, arrested the five accused – gang leader Singh (38), Arbaz Khan (21), Thakur, Furkan Ahmed Mohammed Saif (22), and Raj Bahadur Lodhi (25). All of them are residents of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. After their police remand period, they were sent to judicial custody at Surat central jail.
The accused filed a bail application with Surat district court following which they were granted bail.
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Sachin police sources said Thakur was released on May 11 while Singh got out a few days later. The other accused were also released on bail with Lodhi getting out only 10 days ago.
Kamal Saiyed is a senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, providing extensive, on-the-ground coverage from Surat and the broader South Gujarat region and the Union territories of Daman, Diu & Dadra Nagar Haveli. With a reporting career at the publication spanning back to 2007, he has established himself as a high-authority voice on the industrial, social, and political pulse of one of India’s fastest-growing urban hubs.
Expertise
Industrial & Economic Beat: Based in the "Diamond City," Saiyed offers expert reporting on the diamond and textile industries. His work tracks global market shifts (such as De Beers production changes), local trade policies, and the socio-economic challenges facing the millions of workers in Surat’s manufacturing hubs.
Civic & Infrastructure Coverage: He consistently reports on urban development and public safety in Surat, including:
Traffic & Urban Planning: Monitoring the city's 13-fold increase in traffic violations and the implementation of new municipal drives.
Public Safety: Investigative reporting on infrastructure failures, fire safety NOC compliance in schools and commercial buildings, and Metro rail progress.
Political Reporting: Tracking the shifting dynamics between the BJP, Congress, and AAP in South Gujarat and the neighboring Union Territories (Daman, Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli).
Crime beat: Armed with a good source network Saiyed has been able to bring out the human side of crime stories in his region ... Read More
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