LUCKNOW/MEERUT, Aug. 6 -- A notorious gangster, Mohammed Furqan, carrying a Rs.1-lakh reward and regarded as a key figure behind the migration of traders and Hindu families from western Uttar Pradesh's Kairana town, was killed in an encounter with the Uttar Pradesh Police in Shamli district on Wednesday, officials said. The gunfight took place around 3 pm in the forests near Rangana village under the Jhinjhana police station limits. During the exchange of fire, a police constable sustained a bullet injury to the abdomen and was referred to Meerut for treatment, they added. Shamli SP Narendra Pratap Singh said Furqan, aged around 50 years, was killed after allegedly opening fire at the police team. He said the gangster was wanted in several cases, including murder, robbery and extortion, and carried a reward of Rs.1 lakh on his arrest. Police described Furqan as a key operative of the dreaded Mukim Kala gang, which they said had spread terror across western UP through murders, extortion and organised crime. According to officials, his criminal activities played a major role in creating fear among traders in Kairana, leading to the migration of hundreds of families from the town. They said fear generated by the gang's activities contributed significantly to the migration of about 346 families from the town. Police said Furqan first shot to infamy after the daylight murder of trader leader Vinod Singhal in August 2014. Singhal, who owned a grocery shop in Kairana's main market, was allegedly shot dead after refusing to pay extortion money. Police said he subsequently threatened another businessman, Ishwar Chand alias Billu, demanding extortion money and warning him that he would meet the same fate as Vinod Singhal if he refused. The businessman and his family allegedly fled Kairana and settled in Panipat out of fear. Around the same period, Mukim Kala allegedly orchestrated the murders of traders Rajendra and Shiv Kumar after they refused to pay extortion, further deepening insecurity among the local trading community. The killings sparked widespread protests, with traders shutting markets and demanding strict action against criminals....