Man wanted for cab driver's murder arrested after encounter in UP's Shahjahanpur

Shahjahanpur (UP), Oct 17 (PTI) A man wanted in connection with the murder of a taxi driver was arrested following a police encounter in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur, officials said on Friday.

The accused, identified as Danish, carried a reward of Rs 25,000 on his arrest for allegedly killing Avneesh Dixit, a taxi driver, and fleeing with his vehicle, Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajesh Dwivedi said.

During the investigation, Danish’s name surfaced as one of the gang members who rented vehicles, killed drivers, and escaped with their cars.

According to the police, he was attempting to flee to Nepal on a motorcycle on Thursday night when officers intercepted him near the Puwaiyan bypass overbridge. On being cornered, he allegedly abandoned the motorcycle and opened fire at the police. The police retaliated in self-defense, in which he was injured.

He was taken to a hospital and is currently undergoing treatment.

The police confirmed that the accused has 21 criminal cases registered against him. Another accused, Gurusevak, who had allegedly hired Dixit's cab from Puwaiyan, was killed in a police encounter in Lucknow on Sunday, Dwivedi said.

On October 8, Dixit's son filed a missing person complaint after his father did not return home. The deceased’s body was later found in the Roza police station area, though the vehicle remains untraced.

The police believe the same gang is responsible for similar crimes, including the murder of a cab driver in Unnao. PTI COR CDN ANM ANM MNK MNK