LUCKNOW: The Ambedkar Nagar police have claimed that a 19-year-old man was responsible for the sensational murder of a woman and her four children in the district. The suspect was killed in a police encounter early Monday morning, officials said.
According to police, the accused, identified as Aamir, was intercepted around 5 am near the Nevteria bypass under the Akbarpur Kotwali area following specific intelligence inputs about his attempt to flee. A joint police team laid a trap and signalled him to stop when he was spotted riding a motorcycle.
However, Aamir allegedly tried to escape by turning his bike, which skidded during the attempt. He then opened fire at the police team. In retaliatory firing, he sustained a bullet injury to the chest and was killed on the spot.
During the exchange of fire, SOG in-charge Vinod Yadav narrowly escaped injury after a bullet struck his bulletproof jacket. A sub-inspector and a constable also sustained injuries and were shifted for treatment.
The encounter comes days after a gruesome incident on May 2 in the Muradabad locality, where four children of the same family were found brutally murdered inside their house. The victims had been bludgeoned to death with bricks, sending shockwaves across the region. Their mother, Ghaziya Khatun, was initially reported missing, leading police to suspect her involvement in the crime.
However, the investigation took a dramatic turn when her body was discovered about 100 metres away from the house the following day. Injury marks on her body indicated she too had been murdered, prompting police to register a case of multiple homicide.
Superintendent of Police Prachi Singh said that CCTV footage and local inquiries led investigators to Aamir, a resident of Miranpur locality. He had been absconding since the incident.
“Initial findings suggest that the accused was pressuring the woman to marry him with the intention of usurping her property. When she refused, he allegedly murdered her and her four children,” the SP said.
Police recovered a motorcycle, a country-made pistol, and empty cartridges from the encounter site. Further investigation into the case is underway.
