ALLAHABAD: Police here on Tuesday claimed to have gunned down a dreaded gangster, wanted in dozens of criminal cases including murder and dacoity, even as his associate with whom he had sneaked into the city managed to flee.

The gangster, identified as Bunty alias Afroz (35), a resident of Bhelupur in Varanasi, was shot dead in an encounter near the city-based Institute of Engineering and Rural Technology, Senior Superintendent of Police Lalji Shukla said.

He said Afroz was carrying a reward of Rs 20,000 and was considered to be the right-hand man of dreaded eastern Uttar Pradesh mafia don Munna Bajrangi. Afroz was wanted in a number of criminal cases in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.

The gangster was pillion-riding a motorcycle driven by his associate, when he was challenged by a police party which had received a tip-off about their presence in the city, upon which he opened fire and was struck by gunshots in the retaliatory attack, the SSP said.

Apart from the motorcycle, which was without a number plate, an US-made pistol and some ammunition have been recovered from the slain gangster by the police.
Source : DNA