A sharpshooter of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim [Images] was on Wednesday shot dead in an encounter with the police while he was trying to escape from their custody in Lucknow.

Noor Baksh alias Noora, who was lodged in Naini Central Jail in Allahabad, was brought to Lucknow for a hearing.

As soon as he was taken out from a jail in Lucknow, a number of motorcycle-borne youths tried to help Noora escape.

Inspector General, Special Task Force, Shailja Kant Mishra said some unidentified persons hurled a crude bomb on the van carrying Noora and also gave him a pistol with which he started firing and tried to flee.

Special Task Force personnel following the van retaliated and Noora was killed in the exchange of fire.

Police Inspector Bhanu Pratap Singh and a constable were also injured in the encounter.

Noora was involved in an attack on Dawood's arch rival Chhota Rajan, police said.

Mishra said Noora was arrested in November 2005, in a fake passport case and had tried to flee from jail two times earlier.

A number of cases including looting, murder, kidnapping and extortions were pending against Noora.

Noora was also helping Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islam terrorists lodged in various jail with his vast network, police added.