New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested a wanted member of a sand mining mafia after a brief encounter in Moradabad district, days after an unsuccessful attempt to apprehend him in neighbouring Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar district, during which a local BJP leader's wife was killed. Zafar, who was arrested on Saturday on Kalisa Road in the Pakwarha police station area of Moradabad, was shot in the leg during the encounter and was hospitalised. According to Senior Superintendent of Police Hemant Kutiyal, Zafar was riding a motorcycle when he opened fire on a police team when they asked him to stop. In retaliation, the police team opened fire and apprehended him.


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The police had announced a Rs 1 lakh reward for information leading to his arrest. Following the incident in Uttarakhand, the cash reward was increased from Rs 50,000 to Rs 100,000. An FIR was filed against Zafar at Moradabad's Thakurdwara police station on September 13 after he and his associates assaulted a team led by Thakurdwara Subdivisional Magistrate Parmanand that was inspecting dumpers carrying sand near the Uttarakhand border. On October 12 night, police attempted to arrest Zafar and his associates in Bharatpur village, Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand, but a fight broke out between the police team and the villagers.


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The wife of a local BJP leader was killed in the clash, and five others were injured, including four Uttar Pradesh Police officers. Several police officers were also kidnapped by villagers in Bharatpur and released after senior police officials intervened. The Moradabad police later filed a new FIR at Thakurdwara police station against Zafar and 30 villagers. Zafar, according to the police, is a member of a mafia that transports sand from Uttar Pradesh to Uttarakhand.



(With PTI inputs)