Vinod Upadhyay: BSP leader-turned-wanted criminal, neutralized by UP STF
New Delhi: Wanted criminal Vinod Upadhyay, carrying a reward of Rs One lakh by Gorakhpur Police was critically injured in a STF operation which was carried out during the intervening night of Thursday and Friday to nab the wanted criminal. The encounter led by DySP Deepak Singh took place around 3:30 am in Sultanpur district.
STF team recovered 30 MM china made pistol along with 9MM factory made pistol and live cartidges and one swift car from Vinod Upadhyay who died in an encounter. Vinod Kumar was wanted in more than 35 cases registered alone in Gorakhpur district, while several cases were registered against him under various sections of Indian Penal Code 147,386,427,504 and 506, respectively. The long chase for Gorakhpur police in search of Vinod finally came to an end as the dreaded criminal was continuously changing his location and also carrying a bounty of Rs One lakh on him.
Who was Vinod Upadhyay?
Vinod Upadhyay ran an organised nexus and had committed heinous crimes in districts like Gorakhpur, Basti , Sant Kabirnagar and Lucknow. He also committed several murders in these areas . He was on the list of wanted criminals in Uttar Pradesh and from past seven months searches were conducted in UP to nab the wanted criminal in more than 35 cases registered in Gorakhpur district alone.
Republic spoke to Amitabh Yash, UP STF ADG, who described Upadhyay as a deadly gangster involved in crimes ranging from kidnapping and murder to land deals and extortion. “Vinod was a deadly gangster and was involved in crimes like kidnapping and murders but from past few years he changed his nature of crime and had begun the land deals. He was a professional extortionist who used to grab government lands illegally at gunpoint.”
The senior police official further explained, “Vinod Upadhyay was a trained mafia who, in recent years, transitioned to illegal land dealings and became a professional extortionist. He had political connections and carried out organized crimes. The joint operation of STF and Gorakhpur crime branch resulted in Upadhyay’s encounter after he fired at the officers and was shot in retaliation. Now, the local police will take over the investigation to apprehend other criminals associated with Vinod Upadhyay’s gang.”
Political Rise and Criminal Past: Vinod Upadhyay’s Journey from BSP Candidate to Wanted Criminal
Vinod Upadhyay, a wanted criminal recently neutralized by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force, had a political stint that began in 2007 when he contested the elections on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket. Within a short period, he ascended to the position of Gorakhpur incharge for BSP in the same year, establishing close ties with senior party leaders. Notably, Mayawati herself campaigned for Upadhyay during the 2007 elections.
However, alongside his political endeavors, Upadhyay’s criminal activities gained prominence in the Gorakhpur region. His notoriety stemmed from a 2004 incident where he murdered a small-time criminal over a trivial matter, instantly capturing attention in the local community. Involved in a range of criminal activities, including murders, kidnappings, threats, and blackmail, Vinod Upadhyay had been under the STF radar since 2019. His encounter by the STF marked the culmination of a lengthy pursuit to bring the wanted criminal to justice.
