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For nearly a week, fear travelled faster than rumour through the villages of Aligarh. Women stopped going alone to the fields. Families warned daughters and mothers to return home before evening. In cattle fodder grounds and isolated agricultural patches across Madrak, Atrauli, Godha, and Chharra, one conversation dominated village life: two armed men on a motorcycle were hunting women in broad daylight. That fear ended in a hail of bullets.
Uttar Pradesh Police shot dead two serial robbers, Raja Mohammad and Momin, during an encounter after an intensive operation involving local police units, SWAT teams, and surveillance squads. The two carried a combined criminal history of 67 cases, including robbery, attempted murder, Gangster Act charges, Arms Act violations, and other serious offences spread across multiple districts of western Uttar Pradesh.
Police records also show that Raja Mohammad faced allegations of raping a woman during a robbery in Dankaur, Gautam Buddh Nagar.
Villages Turned Into Soft Targets
According to Senior Superintendent of Police Neeraj Jadaun, the duo deliberately targeted women working alone in fields or cutting fodder for cattle. Armed with pistols, they allegedly snatched earrings and jewellery before escaping on a black-and-red Apache motorcycle.
Investigators believe the gang operated with precision across changing jurisdictions to avoid detection. Raja Mohammad, recently released from jail in April, allegedly shifted operations to Aligarh because locals would not recognise him immediately. Police officials said he wore a helmet not only to avoid traffic scrutiny but also to appear like an ordinary commuter moving through rural roads.
Momin reportedly rode pillion during the robberies.
Police said Raja Mohammad alone was linked to nearly 27 robbery incidents involving around 40 to 50 women, while Momin allegedly participated in at least 18 robberies targeting nearly 30 women.
The first major incident surfaced on 17 May in Bhakraula village under Madrak police station limits, where armed robbers allegedly looted a group of women cutting fodder in broad daylight. Similar incidents followed in Atrauli, Chharra, and Godha. In one recent robbery, a woman’s ear was reportedly torn while the accused snatched her earrings.
As panic spread through the countryside, pressure mounted on the police administration.
Police Hunt Intensified After Repeated Attacks
The DIG later announced rewards of Rs 50,000 each for both men. Police teams examined hundreds of CCTV clips from Aligarh, Bulandshahr, and adjoining districts while surveillance inputs and decoy operations tracked the suspects’ movement.
The confrontation escalated near Khair during checking operations when police attempted to stop two suspicious bikers. Officials alleged that the accused opened fire on the police team, rammed a police vehicle, and escaped, forcing authorities to launch district-wide barricading and intensive searches.
Even as police teams combed the district, the duo allegedly struck again on afternoon by robbing another woman in Atrauli.
Police finally cornered the suspects later in the day. Officers claimed the accused again opened indiscriminate fire while trying to break through the police cordon. In the retaliatory firing, both men sustained bullet injuries and later died during treatment.
Two policemen, constables Ankit and Gaurav, also suffered gunshot injuries and remain under treatment.
Police recovered a looted earring, an illegal .32 bore pistol, a .315 bore country-made weapon, live cartridges, and the Apache motorcycle believed to have been used in the crimes.
Rural Women Celebrate End of Fear
In villages shaken by the attacks, news of the encounter spread rapidly and triggered visible relief among women who had spent days living under fear.
Several victims openly praised the police action and credited the Yogi Adityanath government’s hardline policing approach for restoring confidence in rural areas. One woman said she would offer prasad at a temple after hearing about the deaths of the accused. Another remarked that the Yogi government had become “death for criminals”. Others recalled how jewellery bought after years of savings vanished within seconds during the robberies.
Police are now probing whether the two accused operated within a larger criminal network spread across western Uttar Pradesh. Investigators are also examining whether the motorcycle recovered from the encounter site had itself been stolen or used in earlier crimes.
