THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Baghpat, June 30: In a major operation late Sunday night, the Noida unit of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and Baghpat police gunned down notorious criminal Sandeep Lohar during an encounter in Baghpat.
Sandeep was the kingpin of a gang known for murdering truck drivers and looting goods worth crores on highways.
Action Based on Movement Alert
According to STF ADG Amitabh Yash, police received intelligence about Sandeep’s movement near Mavikalan in Baghpat’s Kotwali area.
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When the STF and local police laid a trap in the dark of night, Sandeep opened fire on the team. In retaliatory firing, he was seriously injured and later succumbed to his injuries at the district hospital.
Baghpat SP Suraj Kumar Rai stated that Sandeep’s gang had become a symbol of fear among truck drivers. Efforts to apprehend him had been ongoing for a long time, and his death is expected to bring a definite decline in highway robbery incidents.
Over 16 Cases of Murder, Loot, and Robbery
Sandeep Lohar faced multiple serious charges, with over 16 cases of murder, loot, and dacoity registered against him.
He was wanted in a high-profile case from May 15 involving the loot of a truck loaded with ₹4 crore worth of nickel plates in Kanpur’s Panki area.
Sandeep was known for targeting truck drivers in remote highway stretches, murdering them, and looting their cargo. A bounty of ₹1 lakh had been declared on him by Kanpur police.
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Criminal Network Spanned Four States
Sandeep Lohar, also known as Sandeep Pahalwan, hailed from Bhaini Maharajganj in Haryana’s Rohtak district. His criminal network extended across Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Maharashtra.
Police reports indicate that he was involved in the murder of more than four truck drivers to date.
