UP: 3 of 66 mafia named in police list now dead, cops look for absconding

 With Chief Minister Yogi ityanath promising a crackdown against mafia, Uttar Presh Police last month released a list containing names of hes of 66 criminal gangs, and top officials say multiple teams are on ground looking for absconding accused and also keeping an eye on those on bail.

Three of listed mafia are now de -- Anil Dujana and itya Rana alias Ravi killed in police encounters, and Atiq Ahm killed in Prayagraj by assailants posing as journalists. Atiq Ahm's bror Ashraf, whose name did not figure in list, was also gunned down with him.

Among rest 63 named in list, five are absconding, 20 are out on bail, and 38 are lodged in different jails. Senior police officials said government is monitoring m. "Our teams are on lookout for criminals and if y fire at police inste of surrendering, y will definitely face retaliation," a police officer said.

Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar told PTI, " police are keeping an eye on everyone. Nobody will be allowed to play with law and order in state." He said multiple teams have been formed to to arrest mafia who are absconding. " police are keeping a close watch on activities of mafia, who are on bail. police carry out ir verification from time to time." mafia list was released weeks after Chief Minister Yogi ityanath vowed decisive action against such elements in state. "Mafiaaon ko mitti me mila denge (will reduce mafia to dust," he h thundered in state assembly during a heated debate with Samajwi Party president Akhilesh Yav over issue of Atiq Ahm, who was n lodged in a jail in Gujarat.

On May 4, gangster Anil Dujana, whose name generated fear in districts of National Capital Region for two deces, was killed in Merrut in an encounter with Uttar Presh Special Task Force. "Anil Dujana, a wanted criminal, was surrounded by our team in a village in Meerut on Thursday afternoon. Dujana fired at our team to escape and was killed in retaliatory firing," ditional Director General of UP STF Amitabh Yash h said.

Anil, who carried his village name as his last name, h over 60 cases lodged against him, including of murder and extortion. He was killed just two weeks after mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahm and his bror Ashraf were shot de from point-blank range by threes people as two brors alighted a police van and walked towards a hospital, handcuffed and being escorted by policemen, in Prayagraj around 10 pm.

On April 12, Special Task Force gunned down itya Rana alias Ravi, who h fled from police custody. Under ditional Director General of Police (G) STF Amitabh Yash said police, as part of a special campaign, are looking for criminals declared absconding.

During ir campaign for urban local body polls, Chief Minister ityanath and state ministers are attacking Opposition parties alleging y sheltered such criminals. "BJP ki ek hi yukti, presh ko dilai mafia se mukti ( BJP has only one solution which: rid sate of mafia). mafia are begging for mercy to le regular lives and earn livelihoods by honest means due to government' zero tolerance against crime," ityanath h told a poll rally in in Rae Bareli.

Earlier criminals in Uttar Presh would walk around ir hes held high, but now y carry placards around ir necks begging for ir lives, he said. He also took a dig at previous regimes, saying people associated with a particular party would brandish country-me pistols, but y are not seen se days, and youths now are working on smartphones and tablets.

One of listed mafia is Bdan Singh Bdo, who has been absconding for past four years. He h managed to flee when police party escorting him back to Farrukhab jail after a court appearance in Ghaziab halted at an eatery in Meerut. All police personnel allegedly got drunk and he took vantage of situation. police are yet to arrest Bdo who has cases of murder, loot and ransom registered against him.

Last week, absconding mafia Manoj Aase was arrested in Gautam Budh Nagar after an encounter. He was also injured in exchange of fire. Haji Iqbal alias Bala, a former BSP MLC and mining mafia of Saharanpur, is also absconding and police have declared a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh on him arrest. His bror and sons are in jail.

Ors in list who are out of police net yet are: Jugnu Walia alias Harvinder Singh (of Lucknow), who is associated with Mukhtar Ansari's gang, Meerut-based Vinay Tyagi and Javed alias Pappu of Prayagraj.

Ajay Pratap Singh alias Ajay Sipahi of Ambedkarnagar, Sushil Mooch of Muzaffarnagar, Anoop Singh and Preep Singh of Pratapgarh, Sudhir Singh, Rakesh Yav and Vinod Uphyay of Gorakhpur, Saud Akhtar of Kanpur, Bachu Yav of Lucknow, Rajesh Yav, Kamrul Hasan and Jabir Hussain of Prayagraj are out on bail.

Former MLCs Brijesh Singh (of Varanasi) and Sanjeev Dwivedi alias Ramu Dwivedi (of Deoria) are also on bail. Those who are lodged in jail are former MLA Mukhtar Ansari, former MP Rizwan Zaheer, Tribhuvan Singh, Amit Kasana, Sundar Bhati and Subhash Thakur.

Officials said mafia used to operate ir network from inside jails, but ir confidence has been shaken after state government crackdown on nexus between mafia and jail officials. Action has been initiated against jail officials, staff and criminals in several cases including illegal meeting between Mukhtar Ansari's son Abbas and his wife in Chitrakoot jail, where Abbas was lodged, and Ashraf's meeting with people in Bareilly jail.