Wanted criminal shot dead in police encounter in UP

Meerut (UP), Oct 13 (PTI) A wanted criminal was killed in an encounter with police here on Monday morning, a senior official said.

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

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

Shahzad was signalled to stop during checking, but he opened fire at police. A bullet hit the bulletproof jacket of a policeman. Police fired in self-defence and the accused was injured, the SSP said.

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. PTI COR NAV DIV DIV