From correspondents in India, 11:00 PM IST

Police Sunday night said they had gunned down a prized criminal in a shootout in this Uttar Pradesh township close to the national capital.

District police chief Ashok Kumar Singh said Atique, a wanted criminal who carried a reward of Rs.10,000 on his head, was killed in an exchange of fire.

Atique was asked by the Phase II police to stop for a routine checking of his vehicle, Singh said, adding the criminal opened fire at the cops.

The fire was retaliated in which he got injured and was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead.

The criminal, police said, was faced over a dozen criminal cases in the national capital region.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)