The term 'encounter' began being used in India and Pakistan in the 20th century. An encounter essentially refers to a face-off between the police and criminals. However, many people also call it a government-authorized killing. The first encounter in India happened on January 11, 1982, at Wadala College in Mumbai when a special team of Mumbai Police shot gangster Manya Surve six times. This was the first encounter in independent India, which sparked controversy. Yet, the most notorious encounter in the country occurred in UP, where a wave of encounters seems to be taking place now.
The second name for terror was Shriprakash Shukla.
Over 1800 encounters, 50 criminals dead, 500 injured. These are the recent figures of encounters in UP. But the UP Police hasn't forgotten the monumental encounter from the 90s, considered the most significant in their history. It was the encounter of infamous gangster
, the biggest name of terror in UP during the 90s that even prompted the formation of a special task force by UP Police. Shriprakash Shukla's shootout happened on September 23, 1998, near Ghaziabad, close to Delhi.
January 11, 1997, Aminabad, Lucknow
In his office, lottery wholesaler Pankaj Srivastava is working. Suddenly, three criminals enter and shoot him.
May 12, 1997, Lucknow
Builder Mool Chand Arora is kidnapped by none other than Shriprakash Shukla. He demands a ransom of one crore and then releases him.
August 1997, Dilip Hotel, Lucknow
Room number 206 of the hotel. Four people are laughing and having snacks. Two men armed with AK47s exit a car downstairs, rush up the hotel stairs, kick open the door, and start firing indiscriminately. Three hide under the bed while one dies. The shooter says, "If you want to save your life, run. If anyone interferes with me and my tender, they're dead." It was Shriprakash Shukla, who had barged in and shot four contractors from Gorakhpur, leaving one dead and three injured, all over a tender.
October 1997, Gokhale Marg, Lucknow
Pharmaceutical businessman K.K. Rastogi gets into his car for a morning walk. His son is driving when their car is hit from behind. Angry, Kunal Rastogi gets out only to be grabbed and forced into the other car. Watching his son kidnapped, K.K. Rastogi chases on, ramming into the criminals' car, forcing them to stop. Shriprakash emerges, shoots K.K. Rastogi, and takes the boy away, demanding a crore in ransom.
January 18, 1998, Shivanarayan Petrol Pump, Lucknow
UP Cooperative Chairman Upendra Vikram Singh steps out toward his car, only for another to block his path. Armed men with AK-47s assault him, firing hundreds of rounds. Upendra is killed. The criminals leave their car and escape. The orchestrator? Shriprakash Shukla, murdering four over a railway contract.
Who Was Shriprakash Shukla?
Born in Gorakhpur's Mamhkor village, his father a schoolteacher, Shriprakash was a renowned wrestler in his village. In 1993, he committed his first crime by killing a man, Rakesh Tiwari, who whistled at his sister. At 20, this was Shriprakash's first offence, after which he only moved deeper into the world of crime.
Shukla Fled to Bangkok
After killing Rakesh in his village, police were on his trail. Realizing the gravity of his crime, Shriprakash fled the country for Bangkok. He stayed there a while but eventually returned with intentions set on establishing himself in crime.
Joined Surajbhan Gang
Wanted for murder, while police searched for him, Shriprakash roamed free in Bangkok. However, financial difficulties forced him back to India, where he joined the Surajbhan gang in Mokama, Bihar.
Name Rose After Shahi's Killing
As a powerful mafia, Shriprakash Shukla gained notoriety in the crime world. In 1997, he shot politician and
Virendra Shahi in Lucknow. It was believed Shahi's rival, Hari Shankar Tiwari, ordered the hit. Many more murders, kidnappings, extortions, and threats followed in Shriprakash Shukla's name.
Railway Contracts Controlled
Eluding police, his reputation grew. No images of him existed. His empire spanned from business extortions to controlling railway tenders, all beyond UP. Anyone crossing paths with him paid dearly. Even the police were scared of him.
Special Task Force Formed to Capture Shukla
Shriprakash's rampant crime wave troubled both the government and police. A decision was made to eliminate him. On May 4, 1998, UP Police's then ADG Ajayraj Sharma formed a 50-member Special Task Force (STF) to capture Shriprakash Shukla, dead or alive.
First Encounter With Police
The initial clash with police occurred on September 9, 1997. Police learned Shukla, with three associates, was heading to Janpath Market in Lucknow to a salon. Despite being surrounded, the operation failed, costing a police officer's life. Shriprakash's infamy only grew in UP after this encounter.
Finally Obtaining a Picture Was Tough
STF personnel armed with AK47s combed from Lucknow to Ghaziabad, Bihar, Kolkata, and Jaipur before acquiring his picture. Meanwhile, Shriprakash set out to commit his greatest crime, reaching Patna from UP.
Minister's Murder in Patna
On June 13, 1998, Shriprakash Shukla murdered Bihar Government Minister Brij Bihari Prasad outside Indira Gandhi Hospital in Patna, despite the minister being surrounded by security guards. The criminals, wielding AK47s, fired as soon as the minister exited his red-light vehicle, fleeing the scene.
Price on Chief Minister's Head
This murder confirmed that Shriprakash now reigned over railway contracts across regions. But as the police were reeling from the minister's murder, a startling revelation hit them: Shriprakash had taken a contract to kill UP's then Chief Minister Kalyan Singh for 6 crores—an existential threat for the STF.
Utilizing Mobile Surveillance
The STF jumped into action, knowing capturing Shriprakash was imperative. Discovering he called his girlfriend in Delhi via mobile, they placed his calls under surveillance. Sensing danger, he switched to using PCOs, unaware his girlfriend's number was also monitored. Surveillance located him calling from Indirapuram, Ghaziabad. The STF team swiftly moved in on this lead.
The End of Shriprakash Shukla
On September 23, 1998, STF in-charge Arun Kumar received intelligence about Shriprakash entering Ghaziabad from Delhi. As his car crossed Vasundhra Enclave, the STF tailed behind. Oblivious to being followed, his car entered the deserted Indirapuram area. The STF seized the moment, overtaking his vehicle, and blocked his path. When asked to surrender, Shriprakash refused, opening fire. In the ensuing shootout, Shriprakash Shukla was killed, concluding the saga of UP's biggest don.
Connections with Leaders and Police
Post his death, investigations revealed Shriprakash's ties with several politicians and senior police officers. Some police served as informants for financial favors. Numerous officials and leaders underwent secret probes in connection with him. A minister, once associated with him, went to jail.
A Crore Spent by Police
The mafia don was notorious for always carrying an AK47 rifle. Records show that the police spent nearly a crore on the mission to eliminate him. This set a precedent as a first extravagant police operation against a criminal. Surveillance itself was cost-prohibitive back then, marking this as the costliest police mission.
