In an encounter on Friday night, Azamgarh police arrested a 20-year-old man identified as Abhay alias Mattu for killing a 70-year-old man on June 11, over a 15-year-old rivalry.
The deceased, Bhual Chauhan, was sleeping in a room built near the cattle shed located outside his house when the accused allegedly slit his throat with a sharp weapon.
A case was registered at the Kotwali police station on the complaint of the deceased's son, Karmraj Chauhan.
The police team received a tip-off that the accused was heading towards the expressway via the Banshi Bazar-Ukrauda road on a motorcycle with an illegal weapon. Acting on this information, the police laid a cordon.
Seeing the police, the accused allegedly tried to flee, but his bike slipped and fell.
City Circle Officer Shubham Todi said that despite the warning to surrender, the accused opened fire. In response, the police action resulted in a bullet hitting his right leg. He was taken to the district hospital for treatment.
During interrogation, the accused told police that he held a grudge against Bhual Chauhan over an incident of assault that occurred with his mother about 15 years ago. To avenge the assault, he murdered him by slitting his throat with a knife while he was sleeping.
The police recovered a motorcycle, a .315 bore country-made pistol, one empty cartridge, one live cartridge, two knives including the knife used in the murder, a blood-stained gamcha, and a blood-stained T-shirt from the possession of the accused.
A case was registered under sections related to murder, the Arms Act, and firing on the police.
