Varanasi: Notorious contract killer Banarasi Yadav, accused of carrying out a high-profile murder for a contract amount, was killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) late Tuesday night.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, the STF team cordoned off Banarasi Yadav on Choubepur Road.
An inspector warned him to surrender, but Banarasi allegedly opened indiscriminate fire instead. Two bullets narrowly missed police constables, who escaped unhurt. The STF then retaliated.
According to police, Banarasi and the STF personnel came face-to-face, during which around five rounds were fired. Two bullets hit Banarasi Yadav, causing him to collapse.
He was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition, where doctors declared him dead. Police recovered two pistols and live cartridges from his possession.
Banarasi Yadav was a resident of Karanda in Ghazipur district and was considered one of the most dreaded and cunning shooters of eastern Uttar Pradesh. He carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head in connection with the murder of coloniser Mahendra Gautam, who was killed five months ago over a land dispute.
The murder was allegedly carried out for a contract of Rs 5 lakh, linked to a dispute over land worth around Rs 50 crore. Police investigations revealed that Banarasi Yadav executed the killing along with two associates.
In the case, police had earlier arrested the main conspirator, Yogendra Yadav, along with three others: Sampurnanand Shukla, Chandana Shukla, and Shyamprakash Rajbhar.
Banarasi Yadav was known for never using mobile phones, frequently changing locations, and altering his appearance to evade arrest. Despite being known by name to the police, his photograph and exact identity remained elusive for a long time, allowing him to commit several crimes without being caught.
The breakthrough came after the murder of colonizer Mahendra Gautam in the Sarnath area, when concrete clues about Banarasi’s involvement emerged. After extensive surveillance and investigation, police finally obtained his photograph and intensified the search, which ultimately led to the encounter.
Mahendra Gautam was developing a residential colony near the Ring Road in Varanasi in the name of his son, Arihant. The first phase had already seen the registration of 127 houses, while plotting work for the second phase was underway.
On August 21, 2025, at around 8:30 am, Mahendra left his home on a motorcycle for his office. About 150 meters before reaching the office, three shooters on a bike intercepted him. One of them was wearing a helmet, while the other two had covered their faces with cloth.
While Mahendra was talking on the phone and riding, the assailants overtook his bike and opened fire from a distance of barely 10 feet. He was hit in the neck and temple, while another bullet struck his bike. The attackers fled the scene, brandishing their pistols.
Mahendra Gautam was rushed to a private hospital in Maldahiya, where doctors declared him dead.
