New Delhi: Lalan Singh alias Lallan, one of Bihar’s most wanted criminals carrying a cumulative reward of Rs 1.25 lakh, was killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) in Saharanpur district during the intervening night of June 21 and 22.
According to police officials as cited in a NDTV report, the encounter took place on the Sarsawa-Nakur Road when an STF team intercepted Singh and his associates. During the exchange of fire, Singh sustained gunshot injuries and was rushed to the Community Health Centre in Sarsawa before being referred to the District Hospital in Saharanpur, where doctors declared him dead.
Senior STF officer Amitabh Yash said the operation was launched after intelligence inputs about the movement of the wanted criminal. One of Singh’s associates reportedly managed to escape from the scene, prompting a search operation by the police.
A resident of Anandgolwa village in Bihar’s Samastipur district, Singh had a long criminal record spanning Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. He carried a reward of ₹1 lakh announced by the Varanasi Police Commissioner and an additional ₹25,000 reward declared by the Chandauli Superintendent of Police.
Police records show that Singh was wanted in connection with the shooting of a sub-inspector and the robbery of the officer’s service pistol in Varanasi on November 8, 2022. He was also accused in a firing and robbery case reported in Chandauli a week earlier.
Investigators alleged that Singh and his gang, which included family members and close associates, were involved in multiple serious crimes, including murders, bank dacoities, cash-van robberies and the looting of government weapons. Authorities linked the gang to at least seven murders, including the killings of two sub-inspectors, a bank cashier and a security guard.
Police described Singh as a hardened criminal who had repeatedly evaded arrest despite extensive efforts by law enforcement agencies across several districts. Further investigations into the activities of his gang are underway.
