Zubair, an alleged sharpshooter of the Munir gang, was killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and local police in Meerut early Wednesday. The 31-year-old was wanted for a reward of ₹1 lakh and was described as a “hardened criminal” involved in over three dozen serious crimes, including murder and armed robbery. The encounter took place near a closed factory on Alipur Road after police received intelligence about Zubair's movement and a planned murder of a businessman in Meerut. When approached by police, Zubair allegedly opened fire, prompting police to retaliate, resulting in his injuries. He was later pronounced dead at a medical college. Police recovered two .32 bore pistols and several cartridges from the scene. Zubair had a criminal record spanning over a decade, with cases registered in Aligarh and South East Delhi, including the 2018 murder of an Aligarh Muslim University student. Investigations are ongoing to locate his associate and others connected to the Munir gang.