Reinforcing Uttar Pradesh’s zero-tolerance stance against organised crime, the UP Special Task Force (STF) and Moradabad Police shot dead two most-wanted criminals in an alleged encounter in the Bhojpur police station limits of Moradabad district.
The deceased have been identified as Asif alias Tidda and his close associate Deenu — both residents of Meerut — who carried cash rewards of ₹1 lakh and ₹50,000 respectively.
Officials said the action followed precise intelligence inputs about the duo’s movements. After being intercepted, the men reportedly opened fire on the police team, prompting retaliatory action.
The STF said a vehicle, three pistols and multiple cartridges were seized from the spot. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem and forensic examination.
According to police records, Asif was a hardened criminal with around 65 serious cases registered against him, while Deenu had nearly 25 criminal charges, including murder, attempted murder, extortion, armed robbery, kidnapping and organised crime across western UP and neighbouring states.
Originally from Kalchina village in Ghaziabad, Asif later settled in Meerut’s Rashid Nagar area.
First booked in 2005 for theft, he eventually emerged as a notorious gangster with active operations in Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Bulandshahr, Hapur, Muzaffarnagar, Moradabad, Saharanpur, as well as Delhi.,
Haryana and Uttarakhand. His criminal activities reportedly escalated after 2013, when a history sheet was formally opened against him.
Recently, Asif allegedly demanded ₹1 crore from local property dealer Haji Jafar and threatened him for refusing payment.
He and his aides subsequently stormed Jafar’s office, snatching ₹2 lakh in cash. On September 27, his associates allegedly fired shots outside Jafar’s residence, leading to a fresh case at Katghar police station.
ADG Bareilly Zone Ramit Sharma had announced a ₹1 lakh reward for information leading to his capture.
Senior STF officers and Moradabad Police are supervising seizure procedures, ballistic testing and witness examination as part of the ongoing investigation.
Another gangster was neutralised in Hapu.r
In a separate late-night encounter in Kapoorpur, Hapur district, police gunned down another wanted criminal, Haseen alias Shatir, aged 30, who carried a ₹50,000 reward. A Swift Dzire, a country-made pistol and live cartridges were recovered from the scene.
Haseen, a resident of Manauta village in Sambhal district, was wanted in over 25 cases, including cow-slaughter-related offences, attempted murder and cases under the Gangsters Act.
According to Hapur SP Kunwar Gyananjay Singh, police received a tip-off around 12:30 am regarding suspected cow smugglers preparing to move livestock. SHO Vinod Pandey intercepted a suspicious vehicle when the accused reportedly opened fire.
The officer retaliated in self-defence as bullets narrowly missed him, triggering a fierce gun battle.
Haseen suffered critical bullet wounds and later succumbed to injuries after being shifted from Dhaulana Community Health Centre to Rama Medical College.
The police reiterated that the state’s drive against crime syndicates will continue with full force, cease, and no criminal element will be spared.
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