GONDA: A wanted criminal with a bounty of Rs 1 lakh on his head was killed in an encounter with the police in the wee hours of Tuesday near Saloni Mohammadpur Bandha in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda district, officials said. Sonu Pasi, also known as Bhure, was a notorious criminal wanted in connection with 53 cases, including murder, dacoity, robbery, and several other serious offences.
Sonu Pasi opened fire on the police team
Gonda Superintendent of Police (SP) Vineet Jaiswal said that the Umri Begumganj police received intelligence on Monday night regarding Sonu Pasi’s whereabouts. Acting on this tip-off, a joint team comprising the Special Operations Group (SOG) and Khodare police carried out a coordinated operation to capture him.
According to the SP, police intercepted Pasi near Sonouli Mohammadpur Bandha. When they tried to stop him, he opened fire on the police team. In retaliatory firing, he was injured and taken to the district medical college, where doctors declared him dead.
Arms seized
Police recovered a .32 bore illegal pistol, a country-made .315 bore gun, and several cartridges from the slain criminal. During the encounter, one of the bullets fired by Pasi hit a police officer’s bulletproof jacket, but the officer remained unharmed.
Last month, during a theft in Umri Begumganj, Sonu Pasi had allegedly shot a villager who tried to resist, prompting a massive manhunt. Since the incident, he had been absconding. Given the gravity of his crimes, three dedicated police teams and the SOG-surveillance unit were tasked with locating him.
Earlier, three of his accomplices — Brijesh alias Chhotu Pasi, Pallu Pasi, and Nanmunna Lodhi — were injured and apprehended during separate police encounters.
Jaiswal confirmed that Pasi was wanted in 53 criminal cases, including charges under the Arms Act, NDPS Act, and Gangsters Act, across Gonda, Basti, and nearby districts. A bounty of Rs 1 lakh had been declared for his arrest by the Additional Director General (ADG) of Gorakhpur Zone. -(India TV)
