Authorities have ordered a magisterial investigation into the killing of gangster Mangesh Yadav, who was a prime suspect in the Bharat Jewellers robbery case and had a Rs 1 lakh bounty on his head. SDM Lambhua, Vidushi Singh, will lead the probe.
On September 6, Yadav was killed during an exchange of fire with the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF). The encounter occurred near Mishirpur-Puraina village in Sultanpur.
Yadav, originally from Jaunpur, was the primary suspect in the dacoity that occurred on August 28. In connection with the robbery, authorities have detained three other accused—Sachin, Pushpendra, and Tribhuvan. Meanwhile, 11 individuals remain at large.
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The robbery, which took place in broad daylight, led to gang leader Vipin Singh surrendering to authorities. During the incident, officials confronted one accused, while two others sustained gunshot wounds to the leg.
The STF reports that Yadav had a history of criminal activities with several cases filed against him. Sultanpur SP Somen Verma confirms that Vipin Singh, from Amethi, has 30 cases registered against him and surrendered in court on August 29, just one day after the robbery. Verma adds that there are a total of 14 accused in the case.
Moreover, in response, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has criticized the encounter as staged. He claimed in a post on X, “He was picked up two days ago and shot dead in the name of an encounter. Now pressure is being exerted to change his medical report. The Supreme Court should immediately take cognizance of this serious administrative crime before the evidence is destroyed.”