In an encounter in the Hapur Kotwali region on Thursday, May 29, a member of the infamous Lawrence Bishnoi gang was shot and killed by a combined Delhi Police and Uttar Pradesh Police Special Task Force (STF) unit, sources said. According to a senior police official, the dead was identified as Naveen Kumar, who was sought in connection with many incidents, including murder, and under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). He has been found guilty in two Delhi instances and has more than 20 criminal charges filed in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.

In a statement, ADGP (STF) Amitabh Yash claimed that Kumar was gravely wounded during a battle with criminals in the Hapur Kotwali area on Wednesday night involving a combined squad from the Noida section of STF and the Special Cell of Delhi Police. According to the officer, after being brought to a nearby hospital, physicians pronounced Kumar deceased.

According to RK Mishra, additional SP, Noida STF, “A combined team of the Delhi Police Special Cell and Noida STF was constituted to take action when we got information about a criminal. According to the tip, a Delhi-based member of the Lawrence Gang was on his way to Hapur to commit a crime.