Key accused in Gorakhpur NEET student killing injured in encounter
What's the story
The Uttar Pradesh Police have arrested one of the key accused in the murder of a NEET aspirant in Gorakhpur. The accused, identified as Rahim, was arrested after an encounter in Kushinagar. He reportedly suffered a leg injury during the encounter. Deepak Gupta, 19, was killed during a raid by cattle smugglers in his village around 3am on Monday.
Investigation progress
Know about the incident
The smugglers entered cattle sheds and started loading animals onto their vehicles. When locals raised an alarm, Deepak and others chased the smugglers. During this chase, Deepak was pulled into their vehicle and beaten up. He was later found dead with a severe head injury about four kilometers from his home.
Arrest details
Accused opened fire on police team
After Deepak's death, the Gorakhpur and Kushinagar police launched a joint operation. Rahim was arrested in this operation after he allegedly opened fire on the police team. Senior Superintendent of Police Raj Karan Nayyar said, "The accused opened fire on the police team, and in the retaliatory fire, he was shot in the leg and was arrested." Another accused, Ajab Hussain, was nabbed by villagers and is currently hospitalized.
Ongoing investigation
Two other accused in custody
Two other accused, Chhotu and Raju, are also in custody and being interrogated. Nayyar said a reward has been announced for two other identified suspects. "Five of our teams are engaged in apprehending them," he added. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday directed police to take strict action against those responsible for Deepak's death.