Sarfaraz alias Rinku, the prime accused in the murder of 22-year-old Ram Gopal Mishra, was reportedly injured in a police encounter near the Nepal border. Alongside Sarfaraz, another suspect, Talib, sustained bullet injuries during the exchange of fire.

Both suspects were shot in the legs and were admitted to a State-run hospital for treatment. No fatalities have been reported as of now. They were among the five suspects arrested in this case.

Additional director general (ADG) Law and Order, Amitabh Yash, confirmed the encounter, stating, “The police have arrested five suspects. Two were injured in an encounter.” Yash, who also leads the Special Task Force (STF) of the Uttar Pradesh Police, said that the Bahraich police,  which is investigating the murder and subsequent violence, has established a link involving one of the accused in Nepal.

Bahraich Superintendent of Police Vrinda Shukla said the suspects were attempting to flee to Nepal when the Special Task Force (STF) and Bahraich police received a tip-off regarding their whereabouts. Acting on this information, the police intercepted the suspects near the Handa Basehari canal in the Nanpara Kotwali area.

As officers approached, the suspects opened fire, prompting the police to retaliate. During the exchange, Sarfaraz and Talib were shot, while the police successfully arrested Sarfaraz’s brother Fahim, his father Abdul Hamid, and another individual.

A doctor in the hospital said that two people were brought here around 2:35 pm-one named Sarfaraz and the other Mohd Taleem. One had injuries on his left leg, and the other on his right leg. The bullet is still inside the body.

The incident has attracted significant attention, particularly after a photograph of Sarfaraz holding a gun emerged, heightening concerns about his involvement in the killing. Sarfaraz’s sister, Rukhsar, had earlier voiced her fears about an impending police encounter, worried for the safety of her family.

“Yesterday, Wednesday evening at 4 PM, my father Abdul Hamid, my two brothers Sarfaraz, Fahim, and another young man were taken away by the UP STF. My husband and my brother-in-law had already been taken earlier. We have no information about them from any police station. We fear they might be killed in an encounter,” she stated.

The town of Bahraich has been reeling from the murder of Ram Gopal Mishra, who was shot on October 13 during a Durga Visarjan procession that descended into violence.

A video of the incident shows Mishra on the roof of Abdul Hamid’s house, holding a saffron flag. As he attempts to wrap the flag, a gunshot rings out, and Mishra collapses after being struck in the chest. In the background, children’s voices can be heard shouting, “He’s dead… he’s dead, run… run,” amplifying the distressing nature of the scene.

The footage appears to have been recorded from the roof of Abdul Hamid’s residence, where the confrontation escalated during the Durga procession. A minor dispute over a DJ playing music near a mosque turned into a full-blown riot when stone-pelting ensued. Mishra, who had climbed onto the roof amidst the chaos, replaced a green flag with a saffron one, allegedly exacerbating tensions. As he attempted to descend, he was fatally shot.

Police have named Abdul Hamid, his sons Sarfaraz and Fahim, along with six others, as suspects in Mishra’s murder.