UP Police Eliminates Notorious Gangsters from Bihar & Jharkhand: Debate Intensifies Over Bihar Police’s Tactics

A fresh wave of encounters targeting notorious criminals from Bihar and Jharkhand in Uttar Pradesh has sparked a major debate on law enforcement strategies in neighboring Bihar. On Wednesday night, Uttar Pradesh’s elite STF killed infamous gangster Chhotu Dhanbadiya, also known as Ashish Ranjan, in Prayagraj. This comes less than a week after another dreaded criminal with a reward of Rs 500,000 on his head, W. Yadav, was shot dead in a police encounter.

Both criminals, active across Bihar, Jharkhand, and UP, had a string of heinous cases against them, including murders, extortion, and armed attacks.

The Encounter in Prayagraj

According to UP STF, the encounter took place in the Shankargarh area when the police surrounded Chhotu Dhanbadiya. In a desperate attempt to escape, Dhanbadiya fired at the police with an AK-47, also using a 9mm pistol. The police retaliated, fatally shooting him. Authorities recovered an AK-47, a 9mm pistol, cartridges, and a stockpile of other weapons from the site.

Police sources confirmed that Dhanbadiya was wanted for several high-profile crimes, including the 2017 assassination of Dhanbad deputy mayor Neeraj Singh and the killings of several other top gangsters such as Aman Singh. He was also linked to land mafia murders and had been a major source of terror across multiple states.

A Pattern of Encounters in UP, Softness in Bihar?

The recent encounters have led to tough questions in Bihar: Why are Bihar’s most-wanted criminals being gunned down in encounters in UP, while in Bihar, police seem to only aim for the leg?

City Post Live’s Chief Editor Srikant Pradeep explained, “Bihar police often only shoot criminals in the leg—ironically, this approach has earned the name ‘Operation Langda’ (Limp Operation). Meanwhile, UP police have shown zero tolerance, routinely engaging and taking down criminals regardless of their notoriety or background.”

The debate intensified following recent violent incidents in Bihar, most notably the daylight shootout at Paras Hospital. While three out of five shooters were apprehended, the Bihar police only shot them in the leg, even though the criminals fired back at the police.

Political Factors Influencing Policing

With elections approaching in Bihar, some observers point to political calculations as the reason for the police’s restraint. Encounters carry the risk of triggering caste-based or community backlash—a politically sensitive matter during election season. “If a gangster from the Yadav or Muslim communities is killed, it could spark consolidation or unrest in those voter groups. No government wants to risk that so close to the polls,” Pradeep explained.

“It’s not that Bihar police don’t know how to act, but everything is viewed through a political lens, especially in an election year,” added Pradeep. He believes that after the elections, the police leadership may get more freedom to act decisively against notorious criminals.

The Road Ahead

Despite the recent crackdown in Uttar Pradesh, crime continues to be a serious challenge in Bihar. The public is growing restless, demanding the same no-nonsense crackdown on criminals that they see across the state border.

With police chiefs Kundan Krishnan (DGP) and Vinay Kumar (ADG) at the helm in Bihar, many hope that the real face of law enforcement will emerge once election constraints ease.

For now, the debate rages on.

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