Mukhtar Ansari gang’s sharpshooter killed in encounter with UP STF in Jamshedpur

Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UP STF) and Jharkhand Police gunned down Anuj Kanaujia, a notorious “sharpshooter” of the Mukhtar Ansari gang, in a high-intensity encounter late Saturday night in Jamshedpur. 36-year-old Kanaujia, who had a bounty of Rs 2.5 lakh on his head, was wanted in 23 cases, including four murders, robbery and extortion.

According to Additional Director General (ADG) of UP STF Amitabh Yash, the operation was launched based on specific intelligence received two days earlier about Kanaujia’s hideout in Jamshedpur’s Chhota Govindpur area. The police had also intercepted plans of him orchestrating a major crime.

When the STF team surrounded his hideout at around 10:30 PM, Kanaujia opened fire from inside his house and even hurled a bomb, which failed to explode. The encounter quickly escalated, with over 25 rounds exchanged between the police and the fugitive. In the retaliatory firing, Kanaujia was shot and later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. STF Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Dharmesh Kumar Shahi sustained a bullet wound in his left shoulder during the operation and is currently recovering at Jamshedpur TMH hospital.

Kanaujia, a resident of Mau, had been evading arrest for years. His name was synonymous with terror, with his expertise in dual-wielding pistols earning him notoriety in organized crime circles.

Police claimed that he was actively involved in illegal land grabs and influencing government contracts for the Mukhtar Ansari gang. His brother-in-law had been sheltering him in Jamshedpur, even setting up an office for him within the hideout.

The encounter took place just a day after the first death anniversary of Mukhtar Ansari, who died in Banda Jail on March 28 last year.

However, Kanaujia’s family has refuted the police’s claims. His father, Hanuman Kanaujia, stated: “The allegations against my son were false. He was accused of four murders, but he had committed only one—to avenge my brother’s death. He had distanced himself from crime and wanted to start a business, but the police did not let that happen. They kept framing him in fake cases, leaving him with no choice but to go into hiding. Eventually, they killed him in an encounter.”