Prayagraj, June 9 -- A member of an inter-district gang involved in several major thefts across Uttar Pradesh was arrested following an encounter with police from Lalganj police station and the SWAT team in Pratapgarh late Saturday night. The accused, Panchlal Verma, carried a bounty of Rs 25,000 and has 46 criminal cases registered against him at various police stations in the district. A motorcycle and a pistol were recovered from his possession before he was sent to jail. According to reports, Lalganj police had been actively searching for Panchlal Verma, a resident of Medhawan, in connection with a series of thefts in the area. On Sunday night, station house officer (SHO) Neeraj Yadav of Lalganj police station, along with SWAT team in-charge Sunil Yadav and their team, was conducting routine checks near the Rice Mill crossing in the Salem Bhadari locality. When officers attempted to stop a man riding a motorcycle, he opened fire on the police. In retaliatory firing, the suspect was injured and later identified as Panchlal Verma. He was immediately taken into custody. SHO Neeraj Yadav confirmed that a pistol, Rs 6,250 in cash and a motorcycle were recovered from the accused....