In a significant breakthrough in the case of journalist Raghavendra Vajpayee’s murder, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and Sitapur police gunned down two contract killers- Raju alias Rizwan and his brother Sanjay alias Akeel in an early morning encounter in the Pisawan area of Sitapur on Thursday.
The two were prime suspects in the sensational daylight murder of the 36-year-old journalist and RTI activist, who was shot dead in Sitapur on March 8 this year. Officials confirmed that both men were carrying a bounty of ₹1 lakh each for information leading to their capture.
Shooters Opened Fire, Killed in Retaliation
According to police sources, the STF received specific intelligence inputs about the movement of the absconding brothers in the Pisawan region. As the joint police team conducted surveillance in the area, Rizwan and Akeel were spotted riding a motorcycle. When signaled to stop, they opened fire on the approaching police team in an attempt to escape.
In the retaliatory firing and encounter, both suspects sustained serious bullet injuries. They were immediately rushed to the Community Health Centre (CHC), and later referred to the District Hospital in Sitapur, where they were declared brought dead. Their bodies have been sent for post-mortem, and legal formalities are currently underway.
Long Trail of Crime Behind the Murder
The two slain shooters in the encounter were notorious criminals from Atawa village under Misrikh police station limits. They had a long history of violent offenses, including over two dozen cases related to murder, loot, dacoity, and illegal arms possession.
Additional Director General (ADG) of STF, Amitabh Yash, stated that Rizwan was also wanted in the 2006 killing of Sub-Inspector Parvez Ali in Lakhimpur Kheri, in which he allegedly hacked the officer to death and fled with his service revolver. Sanjay, his brother, was involved in the 2011 murder of one Devi Sahay Shukla in Sitapur’s Machhrehata police station area.
The operation is being seen as a major success by the UP police in cracking down on organized contract killings and bringing justice to the slain journalist’s family.