(Breaking News) Dreaded dacoit Nanhu Kewat, killed after 52-hr gunbattle with UP Police.

(Breaking News) Dreaded dacoit Nanhu Kewat, killed after 52-hr gunbattle with UP Police.

After making 400 policemen give him chase for 52 hours, dreaded dacoit Ghanshyam, alias Nanhu Kewat, was shot dead on Thursday when he tried to escape by jumping off the roof of the house where he was holed up.

Four policemen were killed in the gunbattle. An inspector general of police (IGP), a deputy inspector general (DIG) and a dozen policemen suffered gunshot wounds.

The marathon encounter started on Tuesday afternoon at Jamauli village in Chitrakoot district of Uttar Pradesh's Bundelkhand region. "This is a huge achievement for the UP police," state director-general of police Vikram Singh told reporters. The slain dacoit carried a reward of Rs50,000 on his head.

Ghanshyam was head of an inter-state gang of 15 dacoits. He had struck terror across several districts on the UP-Madhya Pradesh border with a string of crimes including murder, dacoity and kidnapping. The police said he enjoyed political patronage.
Additional director-general of police Brij Lal, who led the encounter, said: "Our morale was sagging after we lost three men. But their supreme sacrifice gave us the courage to avenge their deaths." He said the wily Ghanshyam did not waste bullets. "He fired only when he knew he had a clear target."

At one point of time, the police came close to capturing him. A bulldozer had been pressed into service to demolish the house. But he opened fire, forcing the policemen to beat a hasty retreat.

A senior police officer, who was part of the operation, told DNA the cops had started with a flawed strategy, which resulted in the death of the three policemen.

"They rushed in without a plan, thinking they could easily overpower the dacoit. They should have waited and watched what kind of firepower Ghanshyam had before taking such an impulsive step," the officer said.

Source: dnaindia.com