Hostage killed before cops gun down two gangsters

LUCKNOW - In a dramatic shootout in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, two gangsters shot dead a businessman they had kidnapped before being gunned down by police, officials said Tuesday.

A third criminal managed to escape in the shootout that took place late Monday in Teetawi area of Muzaffarnagar, about 350 km from here, while they were running away with the kidnapped businessman, Vijendra Kumar, a resident of Budreena village here.

Giving details, an official told reporters Tuesday: “Acting on a tip-off that some criminals have kidnapped a local businessman, we intercepted the three criminals who had held the businessman hostage.”

“In response, the three criminals started firing indiscriminately at the police team. We also retaliated and shot dead two criminals, who by then had killed the businessman. The third criminal managed to escape during the operation.”

The two gangsters who were killed, Pappal alias Vipin and Amit, had around 12 criminal cases already registered against them. These included murder, loot and abduction.

“They were natives of Uttar Pradesh and primarily operated in western regions of the state,” police added.