Ghaziabad teen murder accused killed in encounter, his father among 3 arrested

The main accused in the murder of a 17-year-old Ghaziabad teenager, Surya Pratap Chauhan, was killed in a police encounter early Sunday. He had been on the run since stabbing the teenager on May 28 and was shot during an exchange of fire with a joint team of the Khoda and Indirapuram police late Saturday night. Three more accused, including his father, have been arrested for their alleged role in the crime.

Police said Asad, who had been absconding since the stabbing and carried a reward of Rs 50,000 on his arrest, sustained gunshot injuries during retaliatory firing and was declared dead upon being taken to hospital. A police officer was also injured in the exchange and is undergoing treatment, officials said.

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 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.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (City/Trans-Hindon) Dhaval Jaiswal, five people were named as accused in the case and police had been conducting continuous raids and search operations to trace Asad before the late-night encounter.

"Five individuals were named as accused in this case. Immediately after the incident, the police arrested three of the accused, while the main accused, Asad, remained at large. Several police teams were constituted to apprehend him, and a reward of Rs 50,000 was announced for his capture," Jaiswal said.

According to police, intelligence inputs suggested that Asad was planning to flee the area after collecting money from associates. Acting on the information, police teams set up barricades and launched a checking operation.

“When the police attempted to intercept him, he opened fire on the police team. The police returned fire, during which Asad sustained critical gunshot injuries. The injured Asad was transported to a hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead,” Jaiswal added.

A motorcycle and a firearm were recovered from the encounter site, police added.

Meanwhile, police have arrested three more accused in connection with the murder, namely Nawab, Farhan and Atif. Nawab is the father of Asad.

During interrogation, Farhan told investigators that the dispute stemmed from an argument between Asad and Surya on the afternoon of May 28. Farhan claimed that after learning about the altercation, he and Nawab joined Asad in planning to confront the teenager.

Investigators said Farhan claimed during questioning that the accused confronted Surya in Navneet Vihar around 3.30 pm. He allegedly told police that he handed a knife to Asad, while Nawab exhorted him to attack the victim, saying, "Aaj iski kahani khatam kar de (Finish his story today).”