Lucknow, April 22 (Inditop.com) A gangster wanted in 40 criminal cases was gunned down by a Special Task Force (STF) team in Uttar Pradesh’s Hardoi district, police said Thursday.

Anwar alias Doondi, who was wanted in several cases of murder, abduction, loot and other heinous crimes, was shot dead late Wednesday during a gunfight with the STF in Sandila town in Hardoi, some 110 km from Lucknow.

“Acting on a tip-off, a team of STF first intercepted Anwar in Chirraiya village, but he started firing at the police team, which also retaliated. Later, after nearly an hour of gunbattle, he was shot dead,” Inspector B.B. Singh told reporters in Hardoi Thursday morning.

“Anwar had cases pending against him in police stations of different districts including Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Bareilly, Rampur. He also had links with criminals in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and other states,” he added.

Police have launched an operation to nab an associate of Anwar, who managed to escape under the cover of darkness.