Man accused of killing 18-year-old woman arrested after encounter in UP's Basti

Basti (UP), Mar 6 (PTI) A man accused of shooting dead an 18-year-old woman was arrested after an encounter with police in the Kalvari area here, an officer said on Friday.

The accused sustained a bullet injury to his right knee during the exchange of fire, he said.

Additional Superintendent of Police Shyamkant said the woman was allegedly shot dead in a village on March 2 by the accused, identified as 22-year-old Mandeep Paswan, who had earlier molested her.

A case was subsequently registered under sections 103(1) (murder), 333 (trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint), 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) based on the complaint.

Paswan was arrested in a joint operation by the Kalwari police station, teams of SWAT and the Special Operations Group (SOG). A pistol and some cartridges were recovered from the accused.

Head constable Arvind Singh of Kalwari police station sustained bullet injuries on his right shoulder in the encounter. Both Paswan and Singh have been admitted to the Community Health Centre in Bahadurpur.

Police said a separate case had earlier been registered against Paswan at Kalwari police station under sections 64(2) (punishment for rape), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the BNS, along with provisions of the IT Act and POCSO Act. PTI COR NAV RHL