Dacoit dies in Gomti Nagar encounter

A kidnapping case was also lodged against him in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh.

The police claimed that Chanda was a member of dacoit Sunder Patel alias Ragia’s gang. Ragia carries a reward of Rs 50,000 lakh on his head from the Uttar Pradesh government and Rs 1 lakh from the Madhya Pradesh government.

Anant Deo,the Additional Superintendent of Police,STF,said: “Chanda had been asked by Ragia to kidnap businessmen from Lucknow,Rae Bareli and Kanpur and hand them over. He was promised a share of ransom.”

He said Chanda had come to Lucknow to kidnap a businessman who used to go for a morning walk. Following a tip-off that Chanda and his four associates were coming to Gomti Nagar’s Vibhuti Khand,the police laid a trap near the workshop of the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation.

Around 4 am,the police spotted a man coming on a motorcycle. The motorcyclist stopped behind the workshop and the informer identified him as Chanda. When the police asked him to surrender,he opened fire and was killed in the retaliatory fire by the police.

A 9 mm pistol was found on Chanda. His accomplices,who were to arrive on a four-wheeler,apparently escaped after getting to know of the encounter,Deo said.