Sitapur encounter: UP STF guns down 2 shooters accused in journalist Raghvendra Vajpayee's murder; Rs 1 lakh bounty on each

Time of India

4 days ago

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF), in a joint operation with Sitapur police, gunned down two wanted criminals —Raju Tiwari and his brother Sanjay Tiwari—in an early morning encounter in the Pisawan area of Sitapur on Thursday morning.
Both were carrying a cash reward of ₹1 lakh each for information leading to their arrest.
According to Additional Director General (ADG) of STF, Amitabh Yash, the slain duo were residents of Atwa village under Misrikh police station limits and were the prime accused in the sensational murder of journalist and RTI activist Raghvendra Vajpayee.
The 36-year-old reporter, associated with a national Hindi daily, was shot dead in broad daylight on March 8 in Sitapur.
While police had arrested Shivanand Baba and two others a month after the murder, the shooters had remained at large—until Thursday's encounter.
STF officials said the shootout occurred during a targeted raid based on intelligence inputs about the movement of the absconding accused. As the joint team closed in, the suspects opened fire, prompting retaliatory action.
Both Raju and Sanjay sustained serious bullet injuries and were rushed to the Community Health Centre (CHC), from where they were referred to the District Hospital, Sitapur.
Doctors there declared them dead on arrival.
Additional SP of STF, Raj Kumar Mishra, said that Raju Tiwari alias Rizwan was also wanted in the 2006 murder of Sub-Inspector Parvez Ali in Lakhimpur Kheri. In that case, he had allegedly hacked the officer to death and fled with his service revolver.
His brother Sanjay Tiwari had shot and killed one Devi Sahay Shukla in 2011 in the Machhrehata police station area of Sitapur.
STF said the brothers had a long and violent criminal record spanning over two dozen cases, including murder, loot, dacoity, and illegal arms possession.
The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination and further legal formalities are underway, officials said.