Anil Dujana was an Indian gangster who was killed in an encounter with Uttar Pradesh’s Special Task Force (STF) in Meerut in 2023. He was one of the most wanted criminals in Uttar Pradesh.
Wiki/Biography
Anil Dujana was born as Anil Nagar in 1980 (age 43 years; at the time of death) in Dujana village in Gautam Buddha Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, India.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 7″
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Family
Anil Dujana belonged to a Gurjar family.
Parents & Siblings
His father’s name is Chatar Singh Nagar (also known as Chatru). He passed away on 21 June 2018.
Anil Dujana’s father, Chatar Singh Nagar
Anil Dujana had five brothers named Jai Bhagwan Singh Nagar (also spelt as Jaibhagwan Singh Nagar) (deceased), Mainpal Singh Nagar, Bhopal Singh Nagar, Ompal Singh Nagar, and Ajay Singh Nagar, and a sister.
Wife & Children
Anil Dujana got married to Pooja on 16 February 2021 at Surajpur Court in Uttar Pradesh. Though he was present at the court for a hearing, the court granted approval for the ceremony to take place.
Anil Dujana’s widow, Pooja
Anil Dujana is survived by a daughter.
Relationships/Affairs
Reportedly, Anil Dujana dated Pooja before getting married to her in 2019.
Feuds, Crime, and Turmoil: The Rise of Anil Dujana
Sundar Bhati (also spelt as Sunder Bhati) and Naresh Bhati led the notorious Bhati gang in Uttar Pradesh. Their relationship soured after Naresh defeated Sundar in a district panchayat election. Anil Dujana, once an accomplice of infamous Uttar Pradesh criminal Sundar Bhati, began his criminal career by working for Bhati’s illegal operations. Initially, Dujana was not well-known, but he sought to gain notoriety by committing crimes under Sundar Bhati’s name.
Sundar Bhati
In the early 2000s, Dujana managed a large-scale iron extortion racket, sand mining, and money recovery from disputed properties in Ghaziabad for Bhati; however, a disagreement over illicit business eventually led to their separation. Dujana then aligned himself with Naresh Bhati’s gang. Starting as a novice, he worked his way up, participating in robberies and extortions targeting wealthy individuals and businesses.
Naresh Bhati
On March 24, 2004, Sundar Bhati’s gang murdered Naresh Bhati in retribution for his electoral defeat, inciting Naresh’s brother Randeep and nephew Amit Kasana to seek revenge. Dujana joined their quest, and in November 2011, they tried to assassinate Sundar Bhati at his brother-in-law’s wedding using an AK-47. Despite killing three people, Bhati escaped. Subsequently, Anil Dujana took over Naresh Bhati’s gang. In retaliation, Sundar Bhati’s gang attacked Dujana’s home in 2014, killing his brother Jai Bhagwan. Dujana responded by orchestrating the murder of one of Bhati’s hitmen, Rahul. This ongoing feud between Sundar Bhati and Dujana led to widespread unrest in Western Uttar Pradesh. Over time, Dujana became a central figure in numerous criminal cases, facing charges of murder, contract killing, rioting, dacoity, robbery, and extortion. He was listed as one of Uttar Pradesh’s most wanted criminals in the Gautam Buddha Nagar Commissionerate.
Politics, Cases, and Arrest
Reportedly, at the age of 22, Dujana was first implicated in a murder case at Kavi Nagar Police Station in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, followed by additional charges for dacoity, attempted murder, and arms violations in 2002. According to some sources, Dujana was arrested in January 2012 for a triple murder case following which he continued to operate his gang with the help of Randeep and Kasana. In the same year, he was arrested for his connection in the murder of a trader from Muzaffarnagar named Sanjay Tyagi and was lodged in Muzaffarnagar jail. Dujana was shifted to Uttar Pradesh’s Banda Jail after his name cropped up in the sensational murder of the BJP leader Vijay Pandit in 2014. Anil Dujana, despite his criminal background, enjoyed significant backing from his village and nearby communities. In 2016, he contested and won the panchayat elections as an independent candidate while he was confined in Banda Jail; Dujana won by a substantial margin of over 10,000 votes, defeating his sole opponent, Sangram Singh, who is said to have campaigned while wearing a bulletproof jacket.
Anil Dujana’s 2016 panchayat election poster
After serving three years of imprisonment at Banda Jail, he was transferred to Maharajganj Central Jail in Uttar Pradesh on the state government’s order. He was later moved to Mandoli Jail in Delhi based on a B warrant, which allows police to question an accused held in a different state’s jail. In February 2021, Dujana was released on bail on various cases from the Mandoli Jail. Over time, Dujana’s criminal activities became a threat to the state, prompting Bulandshahr police to announce a reward of Rs. 25,000 for his capture, while Noida police offered a reward of Rs. 50,000. In January 2022, the Delhi Police Crime Branch arrested Anil in the Mandawali area of New Delhi, acting on a tip that he was planning a murder in the same area. On 18 April 2023, Dujana was released on bail from Tihar Jail, Delhi in a case, and he reportedly began threatening individuals who had previously testified against him.
Death
Anil Dujana was killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) on 4 April 2023 near Ganga Nagar in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. According to sources, he was on his way to meet his gang members when he was surrounded by the STF team. The team claimed that he was planning a “big operation” and started firing when they asked him to surrender. As a result, he was killed in the retaliatory firing. After the encounter, about 60 cartridges, a 9 mm gun, a country-made pistol, and another pistol were recovered from Anil Dujana. Uttar Pradesh Police Additional Director General (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar, at a press meet, said,
According to reports, a criminal named Anil Dujana, who was recently released from prison, was travelling from Baghpat to Muzaffarnagar to meet his associates. An STF was deployed on the spot based on this information. When both parties came face-to-face, Anil Dujana changed his route and his car collided with a pole. Anil and his gang fired around 15 to 20 shots. The STF too returned fire, leading to a gunfight and the miscreant’s death.”
Police officials at Anil Dujana’s encounter spot in Uttar Pradesh
Did Dujana Intend to Surrender?
Anil Dujana’s lawyer, Jitendra Nagar, in an interview, alleged that following Dujana’s release from Mandoli Jail in Delhi in February 2021, the Surajpur and Dadri police in Uttar Pradesh lodged two false cases against him. Nagar went on to explain that on 4 May 2023, Dujana headed to Karkardooma court in Delhi, informing his legal team that he planned to return by 2 pm and instructing them to submit a surrender application at the Surajpur court in Uttar Pradesh. According to Nagar, Anil was prepared to turn himself in at Surajpur court in Gautam Buddha Nagar on 5 May 2023; however, he was apprehended by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force unit outside Karkardooma court in Delhi and later reported to have been killed in a police encounter in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. Jitendra Nagar, in the interview, said,
He (Dujana) was set to surrender in Gautam Budh Nagar’s Surajpur court on Friday. Today, he was in Karkardooma court and had asked his lawyers to file a surrender application there as well. When he came out of Karkardooma court, he was picked up by the Meerut STF and shown to be killed in an encounter. Today, Dujana had gone to the Karkardooma court and told his lawyers that he would return by 2 pm. He had also told his lawyers to file a surrender application in that court on his behalf. He was accompanied by two persons, Rakam Singh and Yogesh Ghitora, who have been detained by the STF. He had already filed a surrender application in the Surajpur court, which was set to come up on Friday.”
Facts/Trivia
- Anil Dujana was referred to as ‘Chhota Shakeel’ of Western Uttar Pradesh.
- He also goes by the name Anil Singh.
- Anil Dujana’s sphere of influence extended across several regions including Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Delhi, National Capital Region (NCR), and Haryana.
- His name cropped up in many criminal cases even when he was serving his imprisonment in different jails.
- Reportedly, Anil was a contract killer and had more than 18 murder cases filed against him.
- In addition to Anil Dujana’s involvement in various crimes, his family members were also caught engaging in criminal activities. In 2016, the police arrested some of his relatives for possessing illegal firearms.
Police arrested Anil Dujana’s relatives for illegal possession of arms in 2016
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
