Overview

• Officers intercepted a car near Dasna after a tip-off, the suspects opened fire, police shot back, and Balram was wounded and later declared dead at a hospital.
• Balram carried a reward of Rs 50,000 and had about 34 cases registered against him, including extortion, robbery, murder, and offences under the Gangsters Act.
• Three police personnel, including the SWAT team in-charge, were injured during the exchange as rounds struck a bulletproof jacket and a police vehicle.
• Investigators linked WhatsApp and phone threats demanding Rs 25–50 lakh from traders in Masuri, Sihani Gate, and Kavi Nagar, including a transporter’s abduction and release after a payment of roughly Rs 2 lakh and jewellery.
• Police say three associates in the car escaped and a search operation is underway, with a team led by Additional DCP (Crime) Piyush Kumar Singh formed by Commissioner J Ravinder Goud.