Police encounter: Notorious criminal Kallu killed in joint STF-Agra police operation, had ₹50, 000 bounty

Lucknow (The Uttam Hindu): Notorious wanted criminal Pawan alias Kallu has died in an operation by the joint team of Uttar Pradesh STF's Noida unit and Agra police. On 27 February 2026, in a major operation in Thana Ekta area, the joint team of STF's Noida unit and Agra police had arrested the notorious wanted criminal after injuring him in an encounter. During the encounter, the criminal was seriously injured and was immediately admitted to the hospital for treatment. However, his life could not be saved.

Pawan alias Kallu died in the hospital. The criminal was identified as Pawan alias Kallu, son of Santram, resident of Sirauli, Loni police station, Ghaziabad district. Pawan was wanted in an extortion case registered at Tajganj police station in Agra Commissionerate, and a reward of 50,000 rupees was announced on him. According to the police, Pawan was an active shooter of the notorious Randeep Bhati-Amit Kasana gang, identified by the government.

He has over 18 criminal cases registered against him, including four murder cases and two for extortion. According to police records, a reward of 100,000 rupees was announced for him in a murder case in 2021. He was arrested in Delhi at that time and sent to jail. While in prison, he came into contact with the notorious Himanshu Bhau gang of Haryana. After his release from prison in 2025, he began demanding extortion on a large scale. Police suspect that he was planning to carry out major crimes in Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh in collaboration with this gang.

During the encounter, a large quantity of ammunition and weapons were recovered from the criminal. Notably, the 9mm pistol recovered from the scene was stolen from a constable, Monu Dhiman, in the Bisrakh police station area of ​​Gautam Buddha Nagar in 2016. At that time, the constable was on PSO duty with the ADJ. A case has been registered in this regard at Bisrakh police station, case number 247/16, under sections