Muzaffarnagar: In a major breakthrough, the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UP STF) on Saturday eliminated dreaded gangster and sharp shooter Shahrukh Pathan in an encounter in the Chhapar area of Muzaffarnagar. Pathan, linked to the Sanjeev Jeeva and Mukhtar Ansari gangs, was a prime accused in over a dozen cases, including murder, extortion, and offenses under the Gangster and Arms Acts. His death marks a significant blow to organized crime in the region and offers a sense of relief to many who had been living under the shadow of his terror for years.
A resident of Khalapar in Muzaffarnagar, Pathan’s criminal trajectory began in 2015 when he murdered a youth named Asif Zaida in police custody at the Muzaffarnagar railway station. After his arrest and imprisonment, he came in contact with notorious gangsters Sanjeev Jeeva and Mukhtar Ansari in jail, eventually becoming an active member of the Jeeva gang.
His criminal activities escalated after he absconded from the Civil Lines police station area in 2016. In 2017, acting on Jeeva’s instructions, he murdered a blanket trader named Goldie in Haridwar and later brutally killed Asif Zaida’s father, the prime witness in the earlier murder case. Following these heinous crimes, UP Police announced a bounty of ₹50,000 on his head.
Though he was later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the Goldie murder case, Pathan was released on bail a few months ago. Instead of reforming, he resumed his violent pursuits—threatening witnesses and attempting further killings. A case of attempted murder and criminal intimidation was also registered against him in Sambhal district, where he was listed as an absconding accused.
On July 14, acting on specific intelligence, the STF Field Unit from Meerut cornered Shahrukh in the Chhapar area. A fierce gun battle ensued, during which he was seriously injured. He was taken to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
The STF recovered a cache of arms and ammunition from the scene, including a .30 mm Beretta pistol, a .32 mm ordinance revolver, a locally-made 9 mm pistol, and a white Brezza car with no number plate. Ammunition seized included seven 9 mm live cartridges, ten 32 mm rounds, forty-six 30 mm rounds, and six empty cartridges.
Shahrukh Pathan’s criminal history spans 11 major cases across Muzaffarnagar, Haridwar, and Sambhal, including charges under IPC Sections 302 (murder), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 386 (extortion), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 223/224 (escape from custody), as well as the Arms Act, Gangster Act, and Goonda Act.
His encounter brings an end to a years-long trail of bloodshed and fear, with law enforcement agencies lauding the STF’s action as a crucial step towards restoring safety and order in western Uttar Pradesh.
