Man accused of beheading wife in Ludhiana killed in UP encounter

Meerut, June 3

A man accused of killing a Punjab woman here over a year ago after marrying her died of bullet injuries he suffered while trying to flee from the custody after his arrest, said police on Wednesday.

The Meerut police had on Monday arrested key accused Shakib, his brother Mussarat, father Mustkeem, sisters-in-law Reshma and Ismat and friend Ayaan for their alleged roles in beheading the Ludhiana woman, whose headless body with both its arms chopped off was found in the field of Lohia village in Daurala on June 13, 2019.

Following the arrests, the police had held a press conference on Monday, claiming to have solved the blind murder of the 23-year-old woman last June.

Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police Ajay Sahani on Wednesday said Shakib, while being taken from the press conference venue at police lines to the police station, snatched a pistol from a constable accompanying him and ran away.

Following this, the police team gave him a chase, but he opened fire on the team, in which a constable was injured, he said, adding, Shakib, meanwhile, hid in a forested area, which policemen surrounded with help from villagers.

As the police closed in on Shakib, he continued to fire, forcing police to retaliate, in which he suffered bullet injuries and was admitted to a hospital during treatment, said Sahani.

During the treatment, the accused died in the hospital on Tuesday, said the SSP, adding the injured constable is still undergoing treatment. PTI