Shahrukh Pathan, Sharpshooter From Notorious Mukhtar Ansari Gang Killed In UP Police Encounter In Muzaffarnagar, Weapon Seized

Shahrukh Pathan, 35, an alleged sharpshooter affiliated with gangster Mukhtar Ansari's gang, was killed in a shootout with the Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh Police in Muzaffarnagar district early on Monday.

According to reports, Pathan sustained bullet injuries during a search operation launched by the Meerut Police STF. The injured Shahrukh was taken to hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

“There had been several serious criminal cases registered against him, including murder, extortion, and attempted murder. During the encounter, police also recovered several country-made firearms, including pistols and revolvers, cartridges, and a white Maruti Brezza car without a number plate,” the police said in a statement.

Police sources revealed that the STF unit had been pursuing Pathan, who had recently obtained bail but subsequently disappeared.

A new criminal case had been registered against him in Sambhal district, charging him with intimidating and attempting to kill witnesses involved in an ongoing legal case.

Pathan, who hailed from Khalapar in Muzaffarnagar, first gained notoriety in 2015 when he allegedly murdered Asif Zaida at Muzaffarnagar Railway Station while the victim was under police detention.

"After his detention, Pathan developed close ties with imprisoned criminals Sanjeev Jeeva and Mukhtar Ansari while serving time. He escaped from custody at the Civil Lines police station in 2016 and, reportedly acting on instructions from Sanjeev Jeeva, allegedly killed a Haridwar-based blanket trader named Goldie in 2017," the police statement added.