According to a senior police official, Zafar Ali, the alleged mining mobster who had reportedly escaped into Uttarakhand territory while being pursued by the Uttar Pradesh police, was arrested on Saturday after an encounter with cops in Moaradabad while attempting to flee to Delhi.
“The criminal who carried an award of ₹1 lakh attempted to evade vehicle checking being done on the Delhi route under Pakwada police station limits of Moradabad on Saturday morning,” said Moradabad senior superintendent of police (SSP), Hemant Kutiyal.
Ali’s escape into Uttarakhand territory sparked outrage, with Uttarakhand police accusing their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh of illegally entering the hill state.
A woman was killed and five police officers were injured in an encounter between UP cops and the alleged mining mafia in an Uttarakhand village on Thursday, prompting both states’ police to file cross-FIRs.
Several UP cops were kidnapped by villagers in Bharatpur, near Jaspur in the Uddham Singh Nagar district, and were eventually freed thanks to the intervention of senior police officials. The Moradabad police registered a FIR against Zafar Ali and around 35 residents of Bharatpur near Jaspur town in Uddham Singh Nagar district, invoking several sections of the IPC, including rioting, harbouring an offender, resisting arrest, attempting to murder, dacoity, causing harm to a public servant, criminal conspiracy, and others.
On Friday, the reward for Zafar Ali’s capture was increased from 50,000 to 1 lakh for his involvement in cases of police shootings and assaults. “Previously a reward of ₹50,000 was declared on him after he was wanted in connection with illegal confinement and misbehaviour with sub-divisional magistrate of Thakurdwara, Moradabad, Parmanand Singh and mining inspector Ashok Kumar on September 13,” Kutiyal said.