The killing of robber Mangesh Yadav by Special Task Force (STF) during an encounter in Uttar Pradesh has sparked heated political controversy. Mangesh Yadav was involved in a high-profile theft at Bharat Ji Saraf’s “Om Ornaments” jewellery shop in Sultanpur on the 28th of August, during which more than Rs1.5 crore in valuables were stolen.
Mangesh Yadav was a wanted criminal with a Rs 1 lakh bounty on his head and numerous robbery and theft cases against him. He was killed on the 5th of September, during an encounter with the UP Police’s Special Task Force (STF) in Mishirpur Puraina under Dehat Kotwali in Sultanpur. The police said they acted in self-defence during the encounter, however, the Samajwadi Party has raked up caste angle in the matter.
In a long rant on X, Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the ruling BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has links with those involved in Sultanpur robbery. He claimed that due to these alleged links, the “main accused” Vipin Singh was made to surrender before the court in another case in Rae Bareilly two days after the robbery. He alleged that the main accused was made to surrender, and the other non-Yadav accused were shot in the leg just for show, while Mangesh Yadav was killed due to his caste.
“It seems that the ruling party had deep connections with the people involved in the Sultanpur robbery, that is why before the fake encounter, the ‘main accused’ was contacted and made to surrender and other people from the party were shot only on the legs for show and were killed on the basis of their ‘caste’,” Yadav said.
Expressing sympathy for the slain robber, Akhilesh Yadav said: “When the main accused has surrendered, all the looted goods should be returned and the government should pay compensation separately because the mental trauma caused by such incidents takes a lot of time to recover from, which leads to loss of business, which should be compensated by the government.”
Reiterating his fake encounter allegations against the Yogi government, Akhilesh said: “Fake encounters turn the protector into a predator. The solution is not fake encounters, but real law and order. BJP rule is the elixir of criminals. Till the public pressure and anger do not reach their peak, the work of sharing in the loot continues and when it seems that the public will surround them, then fake encounters are done as a superficial balm. The public understands how some people are saved and how others are trapped. Totally reprehensible!”
लगता है सुल्तानपुर की डकैती में शामिल लोगों से सत्ता पक्ष का गहरा संपर्क था, इसीलिए तो नक़ली एनकाउंटर से पहले ‘मुख्य आरोपी’ से संपर्क साधकर सरेंडर करा दिया गया और अन्य सपक्षीय लोगों के पैरों पर सिर्फ़ दिखावटी गोली मारी गयी और ‘जात’ देखकर जान ली गयी।
— Akhilesh Yadav (@yadavakhilesh) September 5, 2024
जब मुख्य आरोपी ने सरेंडर कर…
It has also been reported that a delegation of Samajwadi Party leaders led by Lal Bihari Yadav will visit the deceased robber Mangesh Yadav’s house to offer condolences. It appears to be an attempt to bolster Akhilesh Yadav’s position as a sole leader of the Yadav community even if that means siding with a criminal.
This, however, is not the first time that the Samajwadi Party has taken the side of criminals. In the recent Ayodhya rape case, Akhilesh Yadav demanded a DNA test of the accused in the case who raped a minor girl in Ayodhya. In this case, the Ayodhya administration had demolished the bakery of SP leader Moeed Khan, the main accused in the gang rape of a minor girl. Last year, when Ghulam Muhammad and Asad Ahmed, the son of gangster turned politician Atiq Ahmed, both accused in the Umesh Pal murder were killed in a police encounter, Akhilesh Yadav came out in defence of the slain criminal called the encounters fake. This came even as CCTV footage of the incident clearly showed the slain duo chasing and attacking Umesh Pal with a pistol. Akhilesh Yadav has expressed his love for deceased gangster Mukhtar Ansari.
Meanwhile, the Bhartiya Janata Party has hit back at the Samajwadi Party saying that it supports and offers condolences to criminals like Mukhtar Ansari, and Mangesh Yadav among others.
“To what extent will the Samajwadi Party go in supporting criminals? Now, the Samajwadi Party visits the homes of criminals to offer condolences. First, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav goes to Mukhtar Ansari’s house to express sympathy, and now Mangesh Yadav…” BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi on Samajwadi Party leaders visiting Gangster Mangesh Yadav’s house.
Lucknow: BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi on Samajwadi Party leaders visiting Gangster Mangesh Yadav's house, says, "To what extent will the Samajwadi Party go in supporting criminals? Now, the Samajwadi Party visits the homes of criminals to offer condolences? First, SP chief… pic.twitter.com/HjU0BI00FQ
— IANS (@ians_india) September 6, 2024
What happened on 28th August?
The robbery occurred in Thatheri market, Nagar Kotwali region of Sultanpur district. Bharat Ji Saraf runs a shop called Om Ornaments Jewellery Shop in the market. On the 28th of August, at 10 a.m., Bhartiji and her son opened their jewellery shop and began working, and people came to the shop as usual. Around 12 p.m., two customers were sitting in the shop.
Meanwhile, one of the accused entered the shop with a handkerchief covering his face and aimed his firearm at Bharatji and his son. The father and son sitting in the shop were astonished, as were both customers. Before they could react, another gang member appeared wearing a helmet and carrying a black bag. Subsequently, three additional miscreants entered the shop and ransacked it.
As the shop owner protested, one of the robbers placed the gun on his head while the other two pointed pistols towards the two customers inside the shop. Meanwhile, three others collected valuables from the shop. In the CCTV footage of the incident, the robbers looted jewellery worth Rs 1 crore 40 lakh within minutes and escaped on their bikes.
दिनदहाड़े सोना-चांदी लेकर फरार हुए बदमाश
— NDTV India (@ndtvindia) August 29, 2024
उत्तर प्रदेश: सुल्तानपुर में सर्राफ ठठेरी बाजार में कुछ बदमाश दिनदहाड़े 5 करोड़ के सोना और चांदी लेकर फरार हो गए. पूरी घटना CCTV कैमरे में कैद हो गई. पुलिस मामले की जांच में जुटी है.#Uttarpradesh | #CCTV | #Sultanpur pic.twitter.com/511N5Vumvr
Reports say that there were a total of 12 robbers who divided themselves into 3 teams. The first team included Pushpendra, Tribhuvan and Sachin who had allegedly chalked out the plan of robbery. Among them, Tribhuvan also arranged a Bolero car. After the robbery, the miscreants fled to Rae Bareli with the jewellery in this bolero. The second group consisted of Vipin Singh, Vinay Shukla, Ajay Yadav, Arvind Yadav, Vivek Singh, and Durgesh Singh. They used to provide backup to the criminals who carried out robberies. The third group consisted of Furqan, Anuj Pratap, Arbaaz, Mangesh Yadav and Ankit Yadav who robbed the shop in broad daylight.
According to the UP Police, Yadav was one of the key suspects in the crime and a member of a bigger gang. Several other gang members had been caught earlier, but Yadav was killed after he allegedly opened fire on police.
Initially, the police said that there were 5 accused robbers, however, further investigation revealed the involvement of 12 persons. Consequently, the UP Police placed Rs 1 lakh bounty on the heads of the 12 accused and began searching for them. While the alleged gang leader Vipin Singh surrendered in Rae Bareilly, Sachin Singh, Pushpendra Singh and Tribhuvan alias Lala Harijan were arrested on Tuesday and sent to jail after treatment during an encounter at Godwa village in Nagar Kotwali. On Thursday (5th September), accused Mangesh Yadav, a resident of Angoraura in Jaunpur district, opened fire at the police, in retaliation, the UP STF officer Dharmendra Shahi shot Yadav dead. Police also seized approximately 15 kg of silver jewellery, Rs 38,500 in cash, a stolen bike, 3 illegal guns, 3 cartridges, and 6 shells from the miscreants.
Responding to Akhilesh Yadav’s “caste-based fake encounter” allegations, UP STF CO Dharmendra Shahi simply said: “I cannot say much on this. Everyone has their own opinion.”
8 robbery and theft cases against Mangesh Yadav
Notably, Mangesh Yadav had around 8 theft and robbery cases registered against him. In 2021, the district’s Karaundikala police station registered the first theft and recovery case against Mangesh Yadav. Six cases were filed against him until 2022. In 2023, action was taken against him under the Gangster Act by the Karaundikala Police Station. In 2024, bike theft was reported in Jaunpur. The stolen bike was allegedly used in the Sultanpur jewellery robbery. On the 28th of August 2024, his name appeared in the Sultanpur bullion robbery case. On Thursday morning, he was neutralised in a police encounter, thus, marking the end of his four-year criminal life.
While Mangesh Yadav has been killed, three others have been arrested and Vipin Singh has surrendered, Furqan, Anuj Pratap Singh, Arbaaz, Vinay Shukla, Ankit Yadav, Ajay Yadav, Arvind Yadav, Vivek Singh and Durgesh Pratap Singh are still absconding.
