Bulandshahr, Aug 9 (IANS) A man accused of raping and murdering a minor girl was killed in a police encounter in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandshahr district, officials said on Sunday.
The deceased criminal was carrying a reward of Rs 50,000.
Police said that while one criminal was killed during the encounter, his accomplice managed to escape by taking advantage of the darkness. Police teams have launched a search operation to trace and apprehend the absconding accused.
The incident took place in the Gulaothi police station area of Bulandshahr, where an encounter broke out between police personnel and two motorcycle-borne criminals near Chhaprawat in the early hours of Sunday.
According to SSP Dinesh Kumar Singh, the police team was conducting a check in the area when the two suspects were signalled to stop. Instead of stopping, the criminals allegedly opened fire at the police personnel and fired several rounds at the team.
“In retaliation, one criminal was seriously injured by a bullet, while the other escaped, taking advantage of the darkness,” SSP Dinesh Kumar Singh said.
The police said that Sub-Inspector Sandeep Kumar and Constable Narendra Kumar, both posted with the SWAT team, were also injured during the exchange of fire.
Meanwhile, bullets also struck the bulletproof jackets worn by Gulaothi police station in-charge Dharmendra Kumar Sharma and Secunderabad police station in-charge Shailendra Pratap Singh.
Following the encounter, the injured criminal was immediately taken to a Community Health Centre (CHC) along with the injured police personnel for medical treatment.
As the condition of the injured accused subsequently became serious, he was referred to the district hospital for further treatment. However, doctors declared him dead during treatment.
The deceased criminal was identified as Monu, a resident of Fatehpur Jadon under the Chola police station area of Bulandshahr.
According to the police, Monu was wanted in connection with a case involving the rape and murder of a minor girl in the Kakod police station area. Police had announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for information leading to his arrest. A case in connection with the incident was registered at Kakod police station on August 1.
During the encounter, police recovered a .32-bore pistol, two magazines, several live and empty cartridges and a motorcycle without a number plate from the spot. The recovered items have been taken into police custody as part of the investigation.
SSP Dinesh Kumar Singh said that several criminal cases were already registered against the deceased accused in different districts and police jurisdictions, including Bulandshahr, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Government Railway Police (GRP) Bareilly, and GRP Aligarh.
Further details regarding the absconding accomplice and his possible involvement in other criminal cases are awaited.
–IANS
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