When the news of gangster Parvez Ahmed getting killed in an encounter broke, it didn't take long to jog the public memory about his life. Involved in a BSP leader's murder over two years ago, he was shot dead by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force on Sunday. STF's Gorakhpur unit DySP Dharmesh Kumar Shahi confirmed the news.
The encounter that killed him
He was last operating out of Nepal, where he had escaped after killing BSP leader Jugaram Mehndi. Police had also declared a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his arrest. He was spotted on a motorcycle along with one of his associates at Sarharai Road in the Pipiganj area of Gorakhpur.
When the police team finally managed to surround the two on Chiuntaha-Sarharai bridge, they were first given the option to surrender. Instead, he opened fire at the team and was killed in the encounter that followed, said the police.
A murderer, a smuggler
A resident of Makhdoomnagar in Ambedkar Nagar district, Ahmad was a wanted criminal in several murders in Makhdoomnagar. DySP Shahi further informed that he had come to Gorakhpur from Nepal to meet someone and as fate would have it, instead got caught.
Apart from multiple murders, Ahmad was wanted on several other counts as well, especially smuggling of fake currency. He operated from Nepal and smuggled fake currency notes in UP districts, neighbouring Nepal. Police have recovered one .32mm pistol, one 9mm pistol along with Rs 500 from his custody.
Social media, trolls and opportunities
There were many who immediately connected the encounter to that of gangster Vikas Dubey's encounter. At a time when Yogi Adityanath's government has come under severe criticism from all quarters for its handling of the pandemic, many users jumped to his defence and immediately credited him for the feat.
"Yogiji hasn't taken rest on Sunday," commented a user. Many others questioned, whether now UP could be called a safe place since lawlessness was rampant and political goons were still on the loose.
