NEW DELHI: Anuj Kannaujia, a shooter from Mukhtar Ansari’s gang, was killed in a police encounter on Saturday in Jamshedpur. The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and Jharkhand Police carried out the joint operation after tracking him for five years. He had a bounty of Rs 2.5 lakh on his head.
According to ADG UP STF Amitabh Yash, the police attempted to arrest Kannaujia based on information received, but he and his accomplices opened fire. In the crossfire, Kannaujia was shot dead.
Kannaujia was wanted in nearly two dozen cases across Mau, Ghazipur, and Azamgarh districts. His death is part of an ongoing crackdown on members of Mukhtar Ansari’s gang since the former MLA’s death last year.
Who was Anuj Kannaujia?
Anuj Kannaujia, a native of Bahlolpur village in Mau district’s Chirayakot police station area, had been evading arrest for years. He was wanted in nearly two dozen cases across Mau, Ghazipur, and Azamgarh districts, including 13 cases in Mau alone. His criminal activities spanned serious offences, making him one of the most wanted criminals linked to Mukhtar Ansari’s network.
Authorities had initially placed a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his capture, which was later increased to Rs 2.5 lakh by the Director General of Police (DGP) office on Thursday. City CO Anjani Kumar Pandey confirmed that Kannaujia was wanted under the UP Gangster Act, with case number 891/2010 registered at Mau’s Dakshin Tola police station.
The encounter comes amid a broader crackdown on criminals associated with the late Mukhtar Ansari, a former Mau Sadar MLA and mafia don who passed away last year while in Banda jail. Since his death, law enforcement has tightened its grip on his gang members, making multiple arrests and intensifying operations against fugitives like Kannaujia.