Gangster Anil Dujana was killed in an encounter by Uttar Pradesh Police at a village in Meerut on Thursday. Police have stated Dujana, who was recently released on bail from prison, was gunned down after he opened fire on a Special Task Force (STF) team who had cornered him. The gangster’s vehicle had crashed into a pole prior to the encounter.
Additional Director General of Uttar Pradesh STF Amitabh Yash said, “Anil Dujana (43), a wanted criminal, was surrounded by our team led by Additional SP of UP STF Brijesh Singh in a village in Meerut on Thursday afternoon. He fired at our team to escape and was killed in retaliatory firing.”
Who is Anil Dujana?
The 43-year-old had a total of 65 cases against him, including 18 murder charges, spanning various districts in western Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, police told PTI. He had the maximum 49 cases against him in Gautam Buddh Nagar, four in Ghaziabad, eight in Muzaffarnagar, and two each in Bulandshahr and Delhi, according to officials.
The first murder case against him dates back to 2002 and was lodged at Ghaziabad’s Kavinanagr police station, while the latest case was lodged earlier this year at Dadri police station for alleged extortion. In 2014, he was booked under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) over a case lodged at Chhapar police station in Muzaffarnagar.
His village of Badalpur was previously known as Sundar Nagar, or Sundar Daku, which was infamous for its criminal activities in the 1970s and 1980s.
Officials from the Special Task Force have revealed that Dujana began his criminal career with the Sundar Bhati gang in western Uttar Pradesh before turning on his former associates, leading to a decade-long gang war. Despite being arrested multiple times, Dujana continued to operate from prison, even ordering the killings of many of his rivals.
Another IPS officer, who has investigated cases related to Dujana, said, “During his heydays, Dujana’s reign of terror spread across Noida and Greater Noida with his gang extorting money even in white-collar works. He had his hands in contracts related to the real estate sector, transportation, scrap dealings, infrastructure work, etc. At one time his influence reached a level that was involved in deciding whose uniflex posters and banners would get placement along the roads in Noida and Greater Noida,” the senior officer told PTI.
Among UP’s 65 Most Wanted Criminals
Dujana was ranked 50th on Uttar Pradesh police’s list of the top 65 most notorious criminals.
Special DG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar has stated that the UP police have been monitoring the activities of 65 gangsters, including Dujana, who was infamous for terrorising people in the national capital region (NCR) through his criminal acts.
According to an India Today report, Dujana was known as “Chota Shakeel” of western Uttar Pradesh.
The report states Dujana was booked by Noida police shortly after being released from Tihar jail last month. Two First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed against him for allegedly threatening people, including a businessman, who had testified against him in court. Police had been searching for Dujana ever since he was released from jail and reportedly continued to receive reports of him making threats.
The encounter that resulted in Dujana’s death occurred on the same day as the first phase of the urban local body elections in the state, with the Yogi Adityanath government emphasizing its “strict” approach to law and order as a key campaign issue. Prior to this, gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad’s son and his accomplice were killed in an exchange of fire with Uttar Pradesh Police, while Atiq Ahmad and his brother were shot dead by three men in Prayagraj while being escorted to a hospital by the police.
Sundar Bhati Gang Origins
Sundar Bhati and Naresh Bhati were prominent leaders of the Bhati gang in the early 2000s, but their relationship soured after Naresh defeated Sundar in a district panchayat election. Sundar retaliated by killing Naresh in 2004.
Anil Dujana joined the gang to avenge Naresh’s death with Randeep Bhati and Amit Kasana. They opened fire at Sundar Bhati’s brother-in-law’s wedding, killing three people. Sundar Bhati’s gang retaliated by firing at Dujana’s house, killing his brother. Dujana took control of the gang and committed various crimes. He was arrested in 2012 but continued to run the gang with Bhati and Kasana’s help.
Encounter with UP Police
In a press statement, the Uttar Pradesh STF said Dujana was alone in the vehicle at the time of the incident. “According to preliminary information, Anil Dujana was going to meet some of his gang members. The SUV he was travelling in collided with an electric pole after being surrounded by the STF team,” Special DG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said.
He had been attempting to rebuild his gang after being released on bail from prison, police said, adding a case of extortion had been registered against him at Dadri Police Station in Gautam Buddh Nagar.
The STF claimed that Dujana was travelling from Baghpat to Muzaffarnagar to meet his gang members to plan and carry out a “big operation.”
Four pistols and several cartridges were seized from the encounter spot.
According to reports, the car he was riding in was registered under the name of Sunder Singh, a resident of Delhi’s Karawal Nagar area. It is unclear how Dujana came to possess the car, and the matter may be investigated by the UP STF.
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