The Uttar Pradesh Police on Monday said it has gunned down a second accused in the Sultanpur jewellery store robbery case in a pre-dawn encounter in Unnao district.
The gunfight between the accused, Anuj Pratap Singh, and the Lucknow unit of the Special Task Force (STF) broke out around 4 am on Monday in the Achalganj area, officials said.
On August 28, jewellery worth approximately Rs 1.5 crore was stolen from a store in the Thatheri market area of Sultanpur city.
The STF had gunned down Mangesh Yadav, another accused in the case, on September 5.
The killing sparked a political controversy with the Samajwadi Party and the Congress calling the encounter 'fake'.
SP chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had alleged that the action was based on the 'caste' of the accused while the state police denied all such claims.
"An STF team from Lucknow engaged in an encounter with some accused involved in the robbery at Bharat Jewellers in Sultanpur in the Achalganj police station area of Unnao on Monday morning. One criminal was injured while another managed to escape," Additional Director General of Police (STF and Law and Order) Amitabh Yash said.
He said Anuj Pratap Singh, a resident of Janapur village in Amethi district, was taken to a government hospital in an ambulance for initial treatment and was subsequently referred to the district hospital.
"Anuj Pratap Singh was declared dead by doctors at the district hospital. Further legal proceedings are being conducted by the forensics team and the Achalganj police," the officer added.
Police had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information leading to Singh's arrest.
Superintendent of Police, Unnao, Deepak Bhuker said Singh had a criminal record.
"Two pistols, seven empty cartridges, three live cartridges and a bag containing silver jewellery were recovered from his possession. A motorcycle was also impounded from the encounter site," Bhuker said.
Sultanpur Superintendent of Police Somen Barma said that during the investigation of the robbery case, the names of 14 accused came to light, out of which police have taken action against 11.
He said searches are being carried out to nab the remaining three accused -- Arbaaz, Furkan and Ankit Yadav.
"One of these 11 accused was Anuj Pratap Singh, who died today in an encounter with the STF in Unnao district. Singh was one of the five accused who carried out the robbery by entering the jewellery shop," he said.
"Even before this, Singh had committed a bank robbery in Surat, Gujarat and had gone to jail in the case," he added.
All the gold jewellery that was looted, which is about 2.6 kg, has been recovered. Police have also recovered 30 kg of silver jewellery, Barma said.
'Akhilesh's wish fulfilled', says father of accused
"Akhilesh Yadav's wish has been fulfilled, a Thakur has been encountered," said the father of Anuj Pratap Singh.
Expressing his anger and grief, Dharm Raj Singh alleged political motives behind his son Anuj Pratap Singh's death.
"My son has become a victim of politics. He only had one or two cases against him, yet he was encountered."
Dharm Raj Singh told reporters that he learned of his son's death through the media and had not been officially informed yet.
He also criticised the 'selective action' of law enforcement.
"There are people with 30 cases against them, yet they remain untouched, but someone with only one or two cases is being encountered. This government can do anything," he alleged.
Dharm Raj Singh also claimed that his son had visited their home on May 3 and left on June 4.
Prior to this, the STF on September 5 gunned down another accused, Mangesh Yadav, sparking a political controversy, with the Samajwadi Party and the Congress calling the encounter 'fake'.
SP president Akhilesh Yadav, who had claimed that such encounters were motivated by the accused's 'caste', also dubbed the STF as 'Special Thakur Force' and 'Sar-e-aam Thoko Force'.
However, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had said Yadav's jibes were made out of 'frustration' while the police denied his allegations.
In a post on X after the September 5 encounter, Yadav said, 'It seems that the people involved in the Sultanpur robbery had deep ties with the ruling party. That is why before the fake encounter, the main accused was contacted and made to surrender and other accused were shot in the legs only for show, and one of them was killed on the basis of their 'caste'.'
"When the main accused surrendered, all the looted goods should also be returned and the government should pay compensation separately," he had said.
Fake encounters turn the protector into a predator, he had claimed.
"The solution is not fake encounters but real law and order," Yadav further said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had alleged in a post on X on September 7, 'In the states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 'law and the Constitution' are being violated by those who have the responsibility to enforce them. The death of Mangesh Yadav in an encounter in Sultanpur has once again proved that the BJP does not believe in the rule of law.'
The Congress' state unit chief Ajay Rai had visited Mangesh Yadav's home and demanded that a high court judge investigate the matter.
