Prime accused in class 11 student’s murder shot dead in encounter

The prime accused in the fatal stabbing of a Class 11 student in Ghaziabad was shot dead in a police encounter on Sunday.

The accused, Asad, was wanted in connection with the killing of 17-year-old Surya Pratap, who was stabbed during an altercation in Khoda Colony on Thursday evening and succumbed to injuries on Friday afternoon.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (City) Dhawal Jaiswal said in a press statement that Asad was injured during an exchange of fire with a police team in the Khoda area. He was immediately taken to a hospital, where he later died.

The development comes days after Surya Pratap Chauhan was attacked with a knife by Asad and his associates in Ghaziabad’s Khoda area on May 28, coinciding with Bakrid celebrations, over an argument.

According to police, Asad was planning to meet associates in the Khoda police station area and allegedly intended to flee after collecting money from them. Acting on the information, police teams set up checkpoints and combed the area.

Police said Asad and one of his associates arrived on a motorcycle and were intercepted, following which the encounter took place.

“Today, the police team received information that Asad was going to meet some of his friends in the Khoda police station area and was planning to escape after taking some money from them. Based on this information, the entire team combed the entire area and set up checkpoints,” officials added.

Police further said, “Asad and one of his friends were seen arriving here on a bike. The police team attempted to stop them and warn them, but instead of stopping, they opened fire on the police team.”

Chauhan, a resident of Navneet Vihar Colony in Khoda, was stabbed during an altercation on May 28 and was initially admitted to a local hospital before being referred to a private hospital in Noida, where he died. Based on a complaint lodged by the victim’s family, police registered a case against five persons. Three accused were arrested soon after the incident, while Asad, named as the main accused, remained absconding. A reward of Rs 50,000 had been announced for information leading to his arrest.

Earlier, police had said preliminary investigations suggested that the accused and the victim were friends and that a dispute over riding a motorcycle escalated into an argument, during which Chauhan was stabbed.

According to Surya’s family, the victim and the accused were known to each other and were part of the same social circle. The family also said that they had been involved in a dispute a few months earlier.

The victim’s sister alleged that Surya was lured to the spot under a false pretext. “He was at home when he received a call asking him to come and celebrate Eid. He did not want to go, but they kept insisting, so he eventually left with them,” she said. “There were seven people there. All of them were carrying knives and attacked him together.”

The family claimed that Surya ran nearly 200 metres to save his life, but the attackers chased him and attacked him again with knives. Police said Surya collapsed on the road after sustaining multiple stab injuries. Believing him to be dead, the accused allegedly fled the scene. The incident sparked widespread anger among local residents and Hindu organisations, who staged protests demanding the immediate arrest of those involved.

Following Chauhan’s death, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya had said on Saturday the killers would not be spared and face the strictest punishment under the law.

BSP chief Mayawati described the incident as “extremely tragic and worrying” and demanding strict action against those responsible.