Reward on fugitive don Baddo increased to ₹5.15 lakh

Reward on Meerut Mafioso Badan Singh alias Baddo increased to ₹5.15 lakh for his arrest in connection with gangster's murder in Lucknow court.

The reward on elusive Meerut Mafioso Badan Singh alias Baddo was further increased after the Lucknow police also announced a reward of ₹15,000 for his arrest in connection with the murder of gangster Sanjeev Maheshwari alias Jeeva, who was shot dead inside a Lucknow court on June 7, 2023, said a senior police official here on Sunday.

An STF additional superintendent of police (ASP) rank official said Baddo had escaped from police custody after drugging police personnel in a Meerut hotel on March 28, 2019. (Foe Representation)

A senior government official said the state government announced a reward of ₹5 lakh on Badan Singh on May 25, 2023 in connection with other cases pending against him. “So, the total reward for the arrest of Badan Singh is now ₹5.15 lakh, which is the maximum reward declared on any wanted criminal by a state government,” he added.

An STF additional superintendent of police (ASP) rank official said Baddo had escaped from police custody after drugging police personnel in a Meerut hotel on March 28, 2019. He said the accused is said to be living somewhere abroad and his locations in different countries were tracked sometimes. He said Baddo was allegedly operating his gang from outside the country.

“In January this year, the Lucknow police chargesheeted the accused as a key conspirator in the sensational murder of now late Mafioso turned politician Mukhtar Ansari’s henchman and gangster Sanjeev Maheshwari alias Jeeva, 48, inside the SC/ST court of Lucknow,” a Lucknow police official said.

Earlier on June 7, 2023, the Lucknow police had arrested Jaunpur resident Vijay Yadav from the spot when he tried to flee after shooting Jeeva dead inside the court premises in the garb of a lawyer.

The Lucknow police had earlier filed the chargesheet against Vijay Yadav in the court of the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) on September 2, 2023, in which they had mentioned Baddo’s role for hatching conspiracy of Jeeva’s murder from Nepal.

The official confirmed that the chargesheet stated Baddo hatched the murder conspiracy and hired assailant Vijay Yadav for ₹50 lakh as well as met him in Nepal. He said the chargesheet was filed after Vijay Yadav verified meeting Baddo in Nepal after seeing his photograph.

He said Jeeva’s letter to the court apprehending risk to his life from Baddo before he was shot dead last year was also made the base for making him (Baddo) key conspirator in the case.