LUCKNOW, Feb. 13 -- A 40-year-old inter-state criminal carrying a reward of Rs.50,000 was gunned down in a police encounter in the Budhana area of Muzaffarnagar, early on Thursday, officials said. The deceased, identified as Amjad alias Ajmad of Harsauli village under Shahpur police station limits, allegedly opened fire at a police team that attempted to intercept him around 3.30 am following a tip-off about his movement towards his village. Senior Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kumar Verma said a joint team of Budhana, Titavi and Shahpur police had laid siege in the area. "When asked to surrender, the accused fired indiscriminately at the police team using a carbine and a pistol," he said. Superintendent of police (rural) Aditya Bansal, circle officer Gajendra Singh and station house officer Subhash Atri escaped unhurt as bullets struck their bulletproof jackets. htc...