Lucknow, Jan 23 (IANS): The list of 33 candidates released by Azad Samaj Party (ASP) leader Chandra Shekhar includes the name of western Uttar Pradesh's dreaded gangster, Bhupendra Bafar.
The ASP has fielded him from Siwalkhas seat in Meerut district.
Bafar, 60, is facing 18 cases of murder, loot, extortion, in several districts of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. He is currently out on bail.
The Uttar Pradesh police had, at one point of time, announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head.
Known to be close to convicted absconder Badan Singh Baddo and another notorious criminal Sushil Mooch, Bafar had fallen out with the two and are now his arch-rivals.
The Uttar Pradesh police came down heavily on Bafar after he helped another Muzaffarnagar-based dreaded gangster Rohit Sandu escape from police custody on July 2, 2019, in which a sub-inspector was killed.
On July 16 that year, Sandu was killed in a police encounter.
During investigation, Bafar's involvement was established and he was arrested on July 13, 2019, for his involvement in the attack, and sent to jail.
Additional Superintendent of Police of Uttar Pradesh STF, Brijesh Singh said: "There are several criminal cases registered against Bafar in Ghaziabad, Muzaffarnagar, Dehradun, Bijnor, etc. He has links with all big criminals in west UP and had in 2013 even tried to kill Badan Singh Baddo while being brought to court under police protection.
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