Ghaziabad: From Jan 2024 to May 13, 2026, a total of 309 gunfights took place between police and suspects wanted in various crime cases in Ghaziabad, leaving 367 suspects injured and 10 shot dead, according to data. Around 11 police personnel sustained bullet injuries across these encounters.In the first four-and-a-half months of 2026, 26 gunfights took place in which 26 suspects were injured and five were killed, including two masterminds of cash van heist.Among the cases that drew attention was the attack on Saleem Wastik, 55, at his Loni office on Feb 27, 2026 — he was stabbed more than 10 times in the throat and abdomen by two brothers early in the morning. An FIR was registered against two unidentified assailants under BNS sections 109(1) and 3(5).On March 1, Zeeshan, 24, carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh, was killed by Ghaziabad police in an encounter in the Loni area — one of the two men wanted for the attack on Wastik. Two days later, on March 3, his brother Ghulfam was killed in a separate encounter in Vasundhara.In the exchange, two police personnel were injured by bullets while ACP Crime Amit Saxena, SI Puran Singh and SI Bobby Singh were each hit on their bulletproof jackets. A bullet passed near the ear of SWAT team in-charge inspector Anil Kumar, who narrowly escaped.On April 19, 2026, a man wanted for the rape and murder of his four-year-old niece was killed in a police encounter at Teela Mod. He carried a reward of Rs 50,000. Two head constables — Amit and Iqbal — were injured in the firing, while constable Mohit Sharma was saved by his bulletproof jacket.In 2025, the number of gunfights rose sharply to 173 from 110 in 2024, with 216 suspects injured, three killed and three constables wounded.On Sept 17, 2025, a joint operation by the Noida STF and Special Cell of Delhi Police killed two suspects — Ravindra of Rohtak and Arun of Sonipat — in an encounter in the Tronica City area. Both were active members of the Goldy Brar-Rohit Godara gang and were wanted in connection with firing at Bollywood actress Disha Patani’s house in Bareilly. A pistol and cartridges were recovered from the scene. No police officer was injured.Four days later, on Sept 21, 2025, Balram, 48, a member of the notorious Anil Dujana gang carrying a bounty of Rs 50,000, was shot dead in the Wave City area in a joint operation by the crime branch, SWAT and local police. Balram had 34 cases against him across Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Aligarh and other western UP districts, including extortion, robbery, murder, the Gangster Act and the Arms Act. In July 2025, he demanded Rs 25 lakh from a transport agency owner over WhatsApp, threatening dire consequences. Three constables — Manoj Kumar, Vishal Rathi and Varun Kumar — were injured in the exchange.In 2024, 110 encounters took place, in which 125 suspects were injured, two were killed and two police personnel were injured.On May 10, 2024, Ghaziabad police shot dead Daksh, 27, a Delhi resident, in an encounter in the Arthala area under Sahibabad jurisdiction. Daksh was absconding in connection with the robbery and murder of Vinay Tyagi, a Tata Steel employee, whose body was found in a drain on May 4. During the encounter, a SI was seriously injured and inspector Mangal Singh sustained a bullet injury to his right hand.On June 28, 2024, a second suspect was killed in a shootout in the Dabar Talab area of Loni. Rehan, 22, a local with four cases including extortion, attempt to murder and Arms Act violations, was shot dead when he tried to prevent the arrest of his uncle. Head constable Vijay Rathi, 29, was injured in the incident. Rehan had been arrested in 2023 for firing in the air and later came out on bail, after which he resumed extortion. In Feb 2024, he had beaten and attempted to kill a local businessman who refused to pay him.
