Bulandshahr (UP), June 21 (UNI) A hardened criminal carrying a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh was killed by the Noida unit of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) in the Jahangirabad area of Bulandshahr district, where two policemen were also injured, a police officer said here on Saturday.

SP Rural Dr Tejveer Singh said that the Noida unit of STF received information that on Friday night some criminals had come to the Mill area under the Jahangirabad police station area of Bulandshahr district to carry out a big crime.

"On the basis of the information, when the Bulandshahr police and Noida STF team tried to arrest the criminals, the criminals started firing at the police. In the retaliatory firing by the police, one criminal was shot, injured and died in the hospital," he said.

He said that an investigation by the police revealed that the deceased criminal was Vinod Gadaria, alias Gurjar, alias Fauji, alias Thakur, a resident of Ishwarpur Khurkan in the Karna police station area of Shamli district, carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh.

"The police have recovered a pistol, cartridges, and a bike from the spot. It was said that Vinod Gadaria had come to Bulandshahr with one of his companions to carry out a big crime," he said.

According to the police, Vinod Gadaria has 40 cases registered against him in different years in Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Baghpat for robbery, dacoity and murder.

The SP said that during the encounter, two STF policemen were also injured by bullet shots. The injured policemen have been referred from CHC to a higher medical centre.

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