Lucknow: Jitendra alias Jitu, a contract killer and an alleged active member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, was killed in an encounter with a joint team of the Special Task Force (STF), Gautam Budh Nagar and Meerut Police, late on Tuesday.
Jitendra, a resident of Haryana’s Jhajjar, had been absconding for two years after receiving parole in 2023, while serving a life sentence for murder. The Ghaziabad police had announced a reward of Rs 100,000 for capturing the criminal. The Haryana Police had also declared a reward of Rs 5,000.
On receiving specific information about Jitendra’s movement in the area, the STF team, along with local police, set up a road block. Late at night, they spotted two men approaching on a motorcycle. On being challenged, the pillion rider got off and started firing at the men in uniform. “He clearly intended to cause death and disability among the police personnel. Members of the STF reacted promptly and returned fire. The pillion rider, who was later identified as Jitendra, was hit, while his associate managed to flee in the confusion that prevailed. No time was wasted in shifting the injured man to the nearest hospital. Unfortunately, he died there despite the doctors’ best efforts,” a senior police officer told Odisha Bytes.
The encounter took place at Mundali in UP’s Meerut district.
A 9 mm carbine, 22 live 9 mm cartridges, four empty cases, a .32 pistol with a magazine and six live rounds, a motorcycle and a black bag were recovered from the spot. “Jitendra was responsible for the murder of one Pramod Kasana in Ghaziabad on October 22, 2023. He and his associates were hired as supari killers. Jitendra had pumped six bullets into his body,” the officer further stated.
A large number of cases pending against Jitendra since he took to crime in 2016. He was sentenced to life imprisonment the same year for a double murder case in Jhajjar.
