Meerut, May 30 -- A joint operation by the Uttar Pradesh special task force (STF) and Delhi Police's special cell led to the killing of wanted gangster Naveen Kumar, a sharpshooter linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, in an encounter late on Wednesday night in the Hapur Kotwali area, officials confirmed on Thursday.

Naveen Kumar, a resident of Loni in Ghaziabad district, was facing multiple charges, including murder, kidnapping, robbery and offences under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). He had been evading arrest for several years and was considered a key member of the Bishnoi network, with close ties to gangster Hashim Baba.

According to additional director general of police (STF) Amitabh Yash, the joint team fr...