Wanted in several cases, UP’s ‘Sholay’ gang leader Anand Singh Thakur arrested in Surat
UP gangster Anand Singh Thakur was arrested in Surat months after evading police in multiple extortion and firing cases across Pratapgarh and Jaunpur.
Among the BNS sections invoked in the cases against him registered in U.P. are 109(1) (attempt to murder), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 3(5) (common intention), 308(5) (extortion) and 351(3) (criminal intimidation).
A CRIMINAL wanted in attempt-to-murder and extortion cases in Uttar Pradesh was arrested in Surat on Tuesday, months after security agencies began looking for him, police said.
Anand Singh Thakur, who terrorised UP’s Pratapgarh and Jaunpur districts with his gang named ‘Sholay’, had been hiding here as he feared an encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UP STF), they added.
Anand Singh Thakur had demanded extortion money from a school principal, a doctor and a bank officer in the UP districts, and, later, his henchmen also attacked them, opening fire.
A team of Surat city police’s crime branch detained him on suspicion on Monday in the Khatodara area and recovered two country-made pistols with six live cartridges from his possession. Thakur was arrested under the provisions of the Arms Act.
Joint Commissioner of Police (JCP, Surat city) Karanraj Vaghela said, “The accused is a notorious gangster from U.P. and is presently wanted in five cases. In December 2025, his gang members fired three rounds at Sonu Upadhyay, the brother of his rival Sandeep Upadhyay in Pratapgarh. Then on January 28, he demanded Rs. 1 crore as extortion money from Thomas Joseph, the principal of a convent school in Jaunpur, and his gang fired four rounds at the main gate of the school. When the principal didn’t pay, his gang again fired two rounds at the main gate of the school on February 14 to threaten him. On the same day, his gang fired five rounds at Dr B K Bengali after he failed to pay an extortion demand of Rs. 50,000. On February 14, he and his gang members fired two rounds at a bank official in Jaunpur and demanded Rs. two lakh. He is wanted in all five offences. His gang members were arrested earlier. Five complaints were registered against him in Pratapgarh and Jaunpur districts this year.”
Among the BNS sections invoked in the cases against him registered in U.P. are 109(1) (attempt to murder), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), 3(5) (common intention), 308(5) (extortion) and 351(3) (criminal intimidation).
“UP Police had declared a bounty of Rs. 1.50 lakh on him. He is one of the most dreaded criminals in UP. Three months ago, UP Police came to Surat and shared information about Thakur’s presence here. The Surat crime branch had been looking for him for the last two months.”
Meanwhile, police sources added that Thakur committed his first offence at the age of 18. While residing in Surat’s Palsana, he spoke to a woman in UP regularly on WhatsApp, and frequently changed SIM cards.
Vaghela added: “We will seek his custody remand. We have already intimated U.P. STF about his arrest. Once his remand ends, we will hand him over to UP Police.”
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