Encounter Specialist Rishikant Shukla’s Clout Used to Amass Real Estate and Assets

Suspended deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Rishikant Shukla was once a young sub-inspector who rose to prominence as an encounter specialist. However, it is alleged that he used his clout to amass real estate and assets worth over ₹100 crore.

He first came into prominence in the late 1990s and was known for his role in several high-profile encounters, including those involving gangsters Rafiq and Billu. His team also gunned down Amit Rai and Chintu Singh of the Munna Bajrangi gang in 2007 at Sanjay Van, Kidwai Nagar. Other notorious names such as Ajay Kanja, Tannu Pasi, Rajesh Kaliya, and Irfan Chikna also fell to his team’s bullets.

By the mid-2000s, Shukla’s proximity to influential bureaucrats and politicians was an open secret. Colleagues recall that he often used his network to turn criminals into informants. His encounter record helped him secure out-of-turn promotions, eventually rising to the rank of inspector, according to those in the know of things. But with rank came a new obsession: real estate.

Over the years, his connections in the city’s construction and property markets allowed him to operate with little scrutiny — builders often said that “nothing moved without Shukla’s nod.” His clout was on full display earlier this year when his son’s wedding was hosted at a five-star hotel in Kanpur. The guest list included the city’s elite — top politicians, senior officers, prominent builders, and developers.

People familiar with the matter alleged that Shukla began acquiring land in Kanpur’s western stretches, particularly around Bithoor, often using coercive means. Over the years, his interests expanded far beyond policing. His association with lawyer Akhilesh Dubey — named in a government letter as head of an extortion and land-grabbing syndicate — proved pivotal, according to those in the know of things. The letter describes Dubey’s network as one that “works systematically through fake cases, extortion, and land encroachments,” allegedly in coordination with police and other departments.

An SIT probe has so far traced at least ₹100 crore worth of immovable assets directly linked to Shukla, his associates, and his partners, according to people familiar with the matter. Twelve such properties are valued at around ₹92 crore, with documentation missing for three others. Eleven commercial shops in Arya Nagar have been identified as benami holdings, several tied to his income-tax records.

Complainant Saurabh Bhadauria claims the SIT’s estimate is “grossly understated.” According to Bhadauria, Shukla made massive gains during his tenure with the Special Operations Group (SOG) and expanded his holdings across Goa, Noida, and Punjab. “Wherever he was posted, he grabbed land and constructed buildings,” Bhadauria alleged, adding that detailed evidence would be submitted to SIT by November 6.

Shukla’s assets reportedly include a resort and hotel on Mainawati Marg in Bithoor, 22 plots in Shri Ram Nagri, six bighas of land near the Ganga Barrage, and multiple farmhouses in Unnao’s Shankarpur Katri. Additional parcels are said to lie along the Kanpur–Lucknow highway, as well as in Bighapur, Safipur, and Purwa — all areas where Shukla once served as circle officer.

The SIT summoned Shukla, along with two other officers — Santosh Singh and Vikas Pandey — for questioning. However, Shukla failed to appear despite receiving four notices. The Kanpur police commissioner has already issued a dismissal notice against inspector Ashish Dwivedi, while another officer, inspector Sabha Jeet Mishra, remains in judicial custody.