The police claimed to have gunned down dacoit Ashok Kewat -- wanted in six cases of dacoity and murder in Chitrakoot — on Monday.

Kewat had robbed a man of his motorcycle early in the morning on Sitapur Road and opened fire when the police tried to intercept him in Gudamba. The place where the alleged encounter took place is a deserted area.

Ashok Prasad, Superintendent of Police, (Trans-Gomti), who supervised the operation, said: “The dacoit was identified with the help of three cellphone numbers jotted in a small diary recovered from him. Also, our Chitrakoot counterparts confirmed his identity.” A .32 bore country-made pistol and another of .315 bore were recovered from the spot, the police said.

Kewat, an officer said, was an active member of slain dacoit Ghanshyam Kewat's gang. On June 18, Ghanshyam had single-handedly engaged 400 policemen in a 50-hour gunbattle. Before he died, he had killed four policemen. Harisharan Singh, Station Officer of Markundi in Chitrakoot, said Kewat was initially a member of slain dacoit Shanker Kewat's gang. In 2008, he had two cases registered against him — one of dacoity and illegal detention another of murder. Hailing from Kamasin of Banda district, he carried a reward of Rs 2,500 on his head. Asked if Kewat had shifted base to Lucknow, Prasad said: “He would have moved to Lucknow after the death of Ghanshyam.”