The most dreaded dacoit of Chambal is dead. After ruling the ravines and hoodwinking the police for almost three decades, the dreaded Nirbhay Gujjar fell to Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) bullets tonight in Etawah — ironically his home turf. At last count, he had 191 cases of murder and kidnapping against his name. In one of STF’s most secret operations — nobody in the special 8-member team except SSP STF Akhil Kumar Srivastava knew of the ‘‘target’’ — Gujjar was shot dead around 10:30 pm in village Sitapur falling under Ajitmal police station of Etawah district. ‘‘We have identified him and so have the villagers here. Rest of any of his accomplices are dead or not would only be known when the sun rises. No one in my team knew that the target was Gujjar,’’ an ecstatic SSP Srivastava told Express on phone from the jungles. Gujjar carried a reward of Rs 2.5 lakh on his head — and perhaps did see his death approaching fast. ‘‘We had shot him for the first time this October 14 in a close encounter. His right hand was rendered useless since,” Uttar Pradesh DGP Yashpal Singh said. “The encounter was very fierce and lasted for almost 90 minutes in the dense jungles.” The beginning of Gujjar’s fall started last year in August when his second wife Neelam eloped with his adopted son Sham Jatav and later surrendered before the police. Almost two dozen members of his gang have been killed since but Gujjar gave them a slip each time. ‘‘I will never surrender except before CM Mulayam Singh Yadav. He must give me a political asylum.,’’ Gujjar had said this May when Express contacted him. He hurled abuses at the police and fired indiscrimately before they shot him dead. RELATAD STORY
