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New Indian Express
2 days ago
- New Indian Express
MP exam fraud: Kingpin Amitabh Rawat's inter-state racket exposed
BHOPAL: One of the prime kingpins of the recently busted Madhya Pradesh Police Constable Recruitment Exam 2023 Aadhaar-manipulated multiple impersonation racket wasn't new to the world of government recruitment examination frauds. Carrying a Rs 10,000 bounty on his arrest announced by northern MP's Sheopur district police, government school teacher-turned-alleged exam fraudster Amitabh Rawat has been accused in the past as well in cases about examination frauds, not just in his home state of Madhya Pradesh, but also in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh. Rawat, whose wife is an elected village sarpanch in the native Morena district of MP's Gwalior-Chambal region, was last arrested in February 2024 from Jhansi by the UP STF and Jhansi Police in connection with the alleged leak of the UP Police Constable Recruitment Exam 2024. But it wasn't the first time that Rawat was arrested by any state police in connection with an alleged examination-related fraud case. Back in 2017, he was arrested in his native MP in connection with the multi-layered Vyapam scam case for arranging proxy candidates or 'solvers' to take government recruitment exams in place of actual beneficiaries. After being lodged in a jail in Gwalior district until 2020, he was granted bail by the MP High Court.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Time of India
UP STF busts fake cement racket, eight arrested
Lucknow: The UP STF on Thursday arrested eight individuals, including the kingpin of a fake cement manufacturing racket, and seized a massive cache of counterfeit cement falsely branded under the names of reputed companies. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Acting on intelligence inputs, the STF raided a warehouse in the Bakshi-ka-Talab area of Lucknow. The raid was conducted with the assistance of local police and the legal manager of a cement company. Authorities seized over 1,800 bags of counterfeit cement. Additionally, more than 1,000 empty branded sacks, machinery used for packaging, fly ash, weighing machines and three vehicles used for transportation were also seized. The arrested accused include kingpin Thakur Prasad alias Ajay, Manoj Kumar, Sanjeet Rai, Mohammed Shakeel, Mohammed Salman, Virendra Kumar, Ram Asre and Naseem from Hardoi. Additional SP, STF, Amit Nagar said that the racket was operating for years. Thakur Prasad confessed that he rented the warehouse for Rs 50,000 per month and used it to process fake cement using fly ash and packaging sourced from multiple suppliers. The fake products were then sold to dealers in Bakshi-ka-Talab, Chinhat, Rahimabad and Mohanlalganj for a profit margin of Rs 80-100 per bag. Nagar said that Thakur Prasad has a criminal history, with prior cases registered in Lucknow and Sitapur. A new FIR was lodged at BKT police station under relevant sections of the BNS and the Copyright Act. Further legal proceedings are underway.
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Time of India
Bishnoi gang member killed in Hapur gunfight
Noida/Meerut: A sharpshooter associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, wanted in over 20 criminal cases, died in a gunfight with UP STF and Delhi Police near Nizampur Tiraha in Hapur on Wednesday night, police said, adding that Naveen Kumar , 35, opened fire on them and was injured in the exchange before succumbing during treatment. Kumar, a resident of Loni in Ghaziabad, was a well-known operative of the gang and worked directly under gangster Hashim Baba. He had been convicted in two cases by a Delhi court but was out on bail and continued to participate in criminal activities, officers said. ASP (Noida STF) Rajkumar Mishra said the operation followed all Human Rights Commission guidelines. "Kumar was a habitual offender and a trusted sharpshooter for the gang. His death is a major blow to the Bishnoi gang's operations in western UP and Delhi-NCR," a senior STF officer added. The STF and Delhi Police Special Cell had been tracking the movements of the Bishnoi gang for several months. The Hapur operation was launched after inputs indicated Kumar planned to regroup with gang members for a targeted killing. Mishra said, "Acting on a tip-off, we deployed teams near Nizampur Tiraha to intercept Kumar. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch vàng CFDs với sàn môi giới tin cậy IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo He and an associate arrived on a motorcycle and saw the police deployment. They opened fire on the team and Kumar was injured in the crossfire. While Kumar died during treatment, his accomplice escaped. We recovered a pistol, cartridges, a motorcycle, and some personal items from him." Police said Kumar's criminal history began in 2008 after he completed Class 12. He was first jailed under the Arms Act in Delhi and initially joined the Jaggu Pehelwan gang. After Pehelwan's death in 2011, Kumar took control of the gang and later aligned with Hashim Baba and the Bishnoi network, becoming a key enforcer in multiple crimes across Delhi-NCR. Kumar was named in the 2009 murder of Amit Bhardwaj in Delhi, with the case registered in Sahibabad. In 2011, he participated in the abduction and murder of Delhi resident Sumit Kumar. In 2014, he and his gang looted metal trader Sanjay Gupta's Delhi office, stealing Rs 26 lakh and silver coins. In 2015, Kumar, along with Udayveer alias Bhola and others, committed a double murder in Gurgaon to assert gang dominance. Last year, Kumar and Mukesh Kumar alias Sachin murdered Delhi businessman Sunil Jain on Hashim Baba's orders. The case was registered under BNS sections and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). After Wednesday's encounter, Hapur police filed an FIR under BNS section 109 (attempt to murder) at Kotwali Hapur.
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Time of India
In a joint op, UP STF and Delhi Police kill wanted gangster after encounter in Hapur
New Delhi: On Wednesday, as the clock struck 10.20pm, sleuths of the UP STF and Delhi Police Special Cell set up a blockade at Nizampur Tiraaha, in Uttar Pradesh's Hapur district. The night was about to witness a dramatic confrontation that would seal the fate of a notorious gangster forever. Based on specific intelligence inputs, the teams lay in wait for Naveen Kumar , a 35-year-old criminal affiliated with jailed gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Hashim Baba, and wanted in several high-profile murder cases. Cops intercepted two men on a bike and asked them to stop, but they allegedly opened fire instead of surrendering, prompting a retaliatory exchange in which one was injured while the other escaped. The injured, later identified as Kumar, was rushed to a hospital, where he succumbed. Police recovered a Taurus .32 bore pistol, live and used cartridges, a motorcycle and other items from the spot. Kumar was allegedly involved in the murder of Delhi businessman Sunil Jain on Dec 8 last year. Jain was shot dead at a traffic signal by two bike-borne assailants, gloved and masked, while returning from his morning walk at Yamuna Sports Complex in Shahdara. Initially, it was believed to be a case of robbery or personal enmity. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like People Born 1940-1975 With No Life Insurance Could Be Eligible For This Reassured Get Quote Undo The investigation eventually linked the incident to a 2024 double murder case, in which a man and his son were killed during Diwali in Farsh Bazar. Seeking revenge for the death of his associate Akash, Sachin Golu, along with Kumar, killed Jain in a case of mistaken identity. Golu remained absconding. Last year, Sonu alias Matka, who was involved in the double murder case, was killed in an encounter with police in Hapur. Kumar had earlier been arrested in 2008 under the Arms Act. He later became an active member of the notorious Jaggu Pehalwan gang. After Jaggu Pehalwan's death in 2011, Kumar rose through the ranks, taking over leadership and continuing the gang's criminal operations. In recent years, Kumar grew increasingly close to Hashim Baba. His name was linked to several heinous crimes, including the 2009 murder of Amit Bhardwaj in Sahibabad, the 2011 kidnapping and murder of a man named Sumit in Delhi whose body was dumped in Muzaffarnagar, and a Rs 26-lakh robbery from a Delhi metal trader's shop in 2014. "He was also accused in a 2015 double murder in Gurgaon aimed at asserting gang dominance. The killing of Jain was allegedly carried out on Hashim Baba's instructions," said an officer. Kumar was also a prime accused in a case registered under MCOCA, along with multiple other charges, including violations of the Arms Act.
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Time of India
Bishnoi gang sharpshooter killed in late-night Hapur encounter
Meerut/Noida: A sharpshooter associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, wanted in over 20 criminal cases, died in a gunfight with UP STF and Delhi Police near Nizampur Tiraha in Hapur on Wednesday night, police said, adding that Naveen Kumar , 35, opened fire on them and was injured in the exchange before succumbing during treatment. Kumar, a resident of Loni in Ghaziabad, was a well-known operative of the gang and worked directly under gangster Hashim Baba. He had been convicted in two cases by a Delhi court but was out on bail and continued to participate in criminal activities, officers said. ASP (Noida STF) Rajkumar Mishra said the operation followed all Human Rights Commission guidelines. "Kumar was a habitual offender and a trusted sharpshooter for the gang. His death is a major blow to the Bishnoi gang's operations in western UP and Delhi-NCR," a senior STF officer added. The STF and Delhi Police Special Cell had been tracking the movements of the Bishnoi gang for several months. The Hapur operation was launched after inputs indicated Kumar planned to regroup with gang members for a targeted killing. Mishra said, "Acting on a tip-off, we deployed teams near Nizampur Tiraha to intercept Kumar. He and an associate arrived on a motorcycle and saw the police deployment. They opened fire on the team and Kumar was injured in the crossfire. While Kumar died during treatment, his accomplice escaped. We recovered a pistol, cartridges, a motorcycle, and some personal items from him." Police said Kumar's criminal history began in 2008 after he completed Class 12. He was first jailed under the Arms Act in Delhi and initially joined the Jaggu Pehelwan gang. After Pehelwan's death in 2011, Kumar took control of the gang and later aligned with Hashim Baba and the Bishnoi network, becoming a key enforcer in multiple crimes across Delhi-NCR. Kumar was named in the 2009 murder of Amit Bhardwaj in Delhi, with the case registered in Sahibabad. In 2011, he participated in the abduction and murder of Delhi resident Sumit Kumar. In 2014, he and his gang looted metal trader Sanjay Gupta's Delhi office, stealing Rs 26 lakh and silver coins. In 2015, Kumar, along with Udayveer alias Bhola and others, committed a double murder in Gurgaon to assert gang dominance. Last year, Kumar and Mukesh Kumar alias Sachin murdered Delhi businessman Sunil Jain on Hashim Baba's orders. The case was registered under BNS sections and the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). After Wednesday's encounter, Hapur police filed an FIR under BNS section 109 (attempt to murder) at Kotwali Hapur.
