Wanted criminal shot dead in police encounter in UP

Meerut: A criminal wanted in several cases, including a five-year-old girl’s rape, was killed in an encounter with police in Meerut on Monday morning, a senior official said.

Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vipin Tada told PTI that the encounter took place near the Sardhana-Binoli road in the Sarurpur police station area.

The accused, Shahzad alias Nikki (35), a resident of Mohammadpur Sakist village here, had seven cases registered against him, including rape.

Shahzad was signalled to stop during checking, but he opened fire at the police part and a bullet hit the bulletproof jacket of an officer, the SSP said, adding that the wanted criminal was injured in a retaliatory firing by the police.

He was taken to the district hospital for treatment, where he died during treatment, the officer said.

Shahzad carried a reward of Rs 25,000 on his head and had been absconding for nine months. He was wanted in connection with the recent rape of a five-year-old girl. He was previously jailed for raping another girl, whose family he threatened on Saturday night, Tada said.

He threatened the girl’s family to withdraw the case against him and fired shots at their home. Police had been searching for him since then.