7 UP STF personnel to get gallantry medals for bravery during ‘encounters with criminals’

Meerut: Seven personnel of the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) will be awarded Gallantry Medals for exceptional bravery during encounters with wanted criminals, including gangster Anil Dujana, on the occasion of Independence Day. Inspector Sunil Kumar will receive the honour posthumously.Inspector Kumar, 53, died on Jan 22, 2025, after sustaining gunshot wounds during a fierce encounter with the Mustafa Kagga gang in Shamli on Jan 20. He had led the operation in which four criminals were neutralised before he succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Gurugram.Kumar was also part of the STF team that engaged gangster Anil Dujana in Meerut’s Jani area on May 4, 2023. Dujana, who was wanted in 66 criminal cases, was killed in the encounter. Head constable Deepak, who participated in the operation, has received a Gallantry Medal.ASP Brijesh Kumar Singh of STF’s Meerut unit, who led the encounter, will be awarded with the gallantry along with head constables Deepak Kumar and Sanjay Singh.He is acknowledged for his role in an encounter in Moradabad’s Bhojpur area on Nov 10, 2025. During the operation, police engaged wanted criminals Asif alias Tibdha, carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh, and Dinu, carrying a reward of Rs 50,000. Both were killed in the encounter.Two personnel from the STF’s Noida unit will also receive the Gallantry Medal for their role in an encounter with Rs 1 lakh-wanted criminal Kapil in Bisrakh, Gautam Buddh Nagar, on Jan 1, 2023. Kapil, a Baghpat resident, was wanted in 34 cases. Sub-inspector Akshay Parveer Kumar Tyagi and head constable Sunil Kumar were recognised for their courage during the operation.The seven awardees are inspector Sunil Kumar (posthumous), head constable Deepak, SI Akshay Parveer Kumar Tyagi, head constable Sunil Kumar, ASP Brijesh Kumar Singh, head constable Deepak Kumar and head constable Sanjay Singh.DGP/ADG (law and order/STF) Amitabh Yash congratulated the personnel and praised their courage, dedication and commitment to duty during high-risk operations against organised crime and wanted criminals.