Satna (MP): Notorious dacoit Sundar Patel alias Ragia, who was carrying a cash reward of Rs 6 lakh, was killed along with his four accomplices in an encounter with the police in a forest near village Hardi in Satna district, police said on Sunday. A team of Satna and Rewa police had laid a trap in the forest on Friday night. When police challenged the dacoits, they fired around 200 rounds. The police returned the fire opening 250 rounds, they said.
Besides Sundar, the other slain dacoits were identified as Khardooshan, Natthu Mawasi, Bhola Mawasi and Shripal Mawasi. Under the cover of darkness, some of the gang members fled.
Madhya Pradesh government had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh on Sundar`s head, while the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh government had declared a reward of Rs one lakh, officials said. Khardooshan was carrying a reward of Rs 75,000 while there was a reward of Rs 15,000 each on the three others.
A large quantity of ammunition, four country-made rifles and a semi-automatic gun were recovered from them.
More than two dozen cases of murder and kidnapping were registered against Sundar in various police stations of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, police said.
Sundar was active since 1986 in Uttar Pradesh and the border district of Satna in Madhya Pradesh. On May 18, 2009, his gang killed 12 persons, including seven members of a family in Bichhiyan village of Satna district, by locking them in a house and setting it on fire.
PTI