Meerut, Oct. 10 -- The Bareilly Police and the Special Operations Group (SOG) gunned down a dreaded criminal carrying a reward of Rs.1 lakh, in a pre-dawn encounter, on Thursday. The encounter took place near Bilwa Agricultural Farm along the Nainital Highway under the Bhojipura police station limits. The slain gangster, identified as Iftikhar alias Soldier alias Shaitan, was a history-sheeter involved in multiple cases of murder, dacoity, and robbery. According to police officials, the operation was launched after a tip-off about the presence of Iftikhar and his accomplice in the area. When police teams tried to intercept them, the criminals opened fire, triggering a fierce gun battle. In retaliatory firing, Iftikhar was shot dead, while his accomplice managed to flee. A head constable was injured during the exchange and has been admitted to a hospital for treatment. Senior superintendent of police Anurag Arya said that Iftikhar was wanted in a 2024 dacoity case registered at Bithri Chainpur police station. He had been absconding for years and carried a Rs.1 lakh cash reward for his capture. Police recovered a country-made firearm, 17 live cartridges, a motorcycle without a number plate, and some cash from the encounter site. "Iftikhar was a notorious criminal who had been evading arrest for a long time. He had over 19 criminal cases registered across seven districts, including four cases of murder and dacoity," SSP Arya said. "He had earlier carried a reward of Rs.50,000 and had escaped from police custody nearly eight years ago."...