Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Prashant Kumar has refuted allegations of a fake encounter in the Sultanpur robbery case, in which accused Mangesh Yadav was killed.
Responding to the accusations made by Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Kumar stated that the entire operation was conducted in a fair and transparent manner, calling the allegations "completely baseless."
He further drew parallels with other high-profile cases, noting, "Similar accusations were made against the police in cases like the forced religious conversion racket and the Hathras incident. However, in all instances, we were proven right in court."
In the Sultanpur case, the Special Task Force (STF) even released CCTV footage and statements from the family of the slain accused, Mangesh Yadav, to support their actions.
The DGP was responding to claims by Akhilesh Yadav, who alleged that Mangesh Yadav had been forcibly taken from his home and killed in a staged encounter.
Gold recovered, legal protocol followed: DGP
Kumar also confirmed that all the gold stolen during the robbery had been recovered. He emphasized that criminals often open fire on police during such operations, and misinformation about these encounters is spread by various groups.
"We strictly adhere to the guidelines set by the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), and no constitutional body has ever raised a finger against the actions of the UP police," he said.
Additional Director General (ADG) of Law and Order, Amitabh Yash, said the mastermind behind the crime was Vipin Singh, who had previously been involved in major robberies in Lucknow and Gujarat. Yash disclosed that on August 13 and 15, Singh, along with Furkan and three other associates, conducted reconnaissance of the robbery site. “Mangesh Yadav was also part of the gang”, he said.
Yash added that Furkan, Anuj, and Arbaaz had entered the store during the heist, while Vipin, Vinay Shukla, and Mangesh remained outside.
ADG Lucknow S.B. Shirudkar said the gang had conducted reconnaissance twice before executing the robbery. The motorcycles used in the crime were stolen from Jaunpur, and after the robbery, the gang used a Bolero vehicle to escape from the scene.
