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 from STF Noida unit and Delhi Police special cell came under fire when they tried to intercept a group of armed men. A gunbattle followed in which Naveen was seriously injured. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared him dead. The STF confirmed that Kumar was wanted in connection with a murder and MCOCA case registered at Delhi's Farsh Bazar police station. "He was injured in an encounter with the joint team and later succumbed at the hospital," an STF statement said. Police records show that Naveen's criminal background stretched over 17 years. He was first booked under the Arms Act in 2008 at Seema Puri Police Station in Delhi. A year later, he was accused in a murder case in Sahibabad. By 2010, he was charged under the Gangster Act in UP. In total, at least 20 criminal cases had been registered against him in Delhi and UP, including two in which he had been convicted. Lawrence Bishnoi's gang has been linked to a series of high-profile crimes across the country. Police officials said Naveen's killing is expected to impact the gang's operations, especially in the Delhi-NCR region. "This encounter sends a clear message to criminal networks operating in northern India. We are committed to dismantling these gangs and ensuring the safety of citizens," a senior official involved in the operation said....