A man who was accused of raping a four-year-old girl and then murdering her was killed in a late night encounter in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad on Sunday, the police said. The encounter happened near the Banthla Canal Cut of the city following a week-long hunt for the accused, who was identified as Jaseem alias Chhotu.
As per the police, the incident happened on April 11 when the girl went missing from her residence. The girl's parents, who were daily wage labourers, had gone for work when the accused, the victim's maternal uncle, lured her by promising food. He then took her to a rented room where he had moved a month ago, and raped her before strangulating her to death.
The victim's body was later recovered from near a car parked in the area. The incident forced the police to swing into action and register a first information report (FIR) under Sections 103(1), 65(2) and 238 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and a hunt was launched for the accused.
The police also announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 for anyone providing information about Jaseem.
"On the 11th, a case of rape and murder of a girl came to light in the Tila Mod area of Ghaziabad. Police immediately registered a case under the relevant sections and investigated the matter. It emerged that Jaseem alias Chhotu, the girl's maternal uncle, had committed the crime. He was immediately declared wanted," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Dhawal Jaiswal was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The Uttar Pradesh Police said Jaseem was seen near the Banthla Canal Cut on Sunday night when a team tried to stop. He refused and opened fire at the police, forcing the team to retaliate. In the shooting, Jaseem received bullet injuries after which he was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead by the doctors.
The police noted, though, that two of his companions managed to flee.
"Two constables of our team were also injured and were immediately sent for first aid. Some illegal pistols and cartridges were recovered from him. He also has a previous criminal history. He is originally a resident of the Muzaffarnagar area. For this commendable work, a reward of Rs 50,000 has also been announced for the SWAT team," Jaiswal said.
