In a major breakthrough against organized crime, a joint team of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and the Delhi Police’s Special Cell gunned down notorious gangster Naveen Kumar in an encounter late Wednesday night in Hapur. Naveen, 37, was a key sharpshooter and active member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, involved in a series of high-profile crimes across Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh.
According to ADG (Law and Order) Amitabh Yash, the operation was based on intelligence inputs regarding the movement of wanted criminals. Upon interception, the suspects opened fire at the police team, prompting a fierce gun battle. Naveen Kumar, a resident of Loni in Ghaziabad, sustained critical injuries in the exchange of fire and was rushed to a hospital, where he was declared dead.
Police confirmed that Naveen was wanted in over 20 serious cases, including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and dacoity. He was also booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Despite being convicted in two murder cases in Delhi, he had been absconding after receiving court sentences.
Additional SP of STF, R.K. Mishra, stated that Naveen was a trusted aide of Hashim Baba, another close associate of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. Together, they orchestrated numerous extortion rackets and contract killings in the region. Naveen was reportedly planning to regroup with other gang members for a targeted killing mission when the police operation was launched.
Senior STF officials described Naveen’s elimination as a major blow to the Bishnoi gang’s active module in western Uttar Pradesh and Delhi-NCR. Authorities have been intensifying their crackdown on inter-state criminal networks, and this successful operation marks a significant milestone in that campaign.
