STF nabs 6 Mukhtar men

LUCKNOW: The Special Task Force (STF) on Friday arrested six members of Mukhtar Ansari gang and recovered a major haul of highly sophisticated firearms and ammunition.
Those arrested include a constable of the Armed Police (AP) and a notorious criminal of Punjab. The latter is an accused in Rungta kidnapping case and had been lodged in Lucknow district jail.He was admitted to the King George’s Medical College (KGMC) reportedly on the pretext of illness, but, as discovered, was moving freely in the state capital.
Inspector General of Police (IG) STF SN Singh told mediamen that there was a tip-off that a criminal from Punjab, Gurmeet Singh Baba, was on the prowl with his gang of five, terrorising people, ‘settling’ property disputes and indulging in extortion. Baba had been arrested in connection with the Rungta kidnapping case and was undergoing trial in Lucknow. He was in jail and in September 2001 got shifted to private ward room number 5H at the KGMC on the pretext of pain in the back. He was however regularly visiting the Gomtinagar stadium to play badminton in the evening.
SSP, STF Rajiv Ranjan said that on the basis of the information, the STF team intercepted a Lancer car (DL 8 CG 8187) being followed by a Honda City (UP 32 AJ 5555) near Kapoorthala crossing. The six occupants of the two cars opened fire at the STF team. They were however over-powered and arrested. Police recovered a USA-made .357 bore magnum revolver worth Rs 7 lakh, a 9 mm pistol, three star pistols of 7.62 bore, one factory-made double barrel gun, one semi-finished revolver and a sachet of ammunition from their possession. SP STF Anant Deo, who supervised the arrest, revealed that the accused were identified as Gurmeet Singh of Fatehgarh in Punjab, Sanjay alias Guddu alias Veer Bahadur of Maharajganj in Faizabad, Balikaran Singh of Bhatinda in Punjab, Abhinav Bhargava alias Raja Bhargava of Mahanagar area, Shahid alias Bunty of Hussainganj area in the state capital and Pradeep Kumar of Masihabad in Balrampur district. Pradeep was posted at Lucknow Police Lines.