Lucknow: Accused kidnapper and rapist of 3-year-old girl killed in encounter | Lucknow News
LUCKNOW: A man accused of kidnapping and raping a three-year-old girl in Lucknow was killed in an encounter with police in the early hours of Friday. The accused was identified as Deepak Verma, 24.Police said he was a habitual offender, and several criminal cases were lodged against him at various police stations. Police had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for any information leading to his arrest.On Thursday, a complaint was registered at Alambagh police station that a three-year-old girl was kidnapped and raped. The minor sustained multiple injuries to her private parts.Deputy commissioner of police (Central) Ashish Srivastava said, “CCTV footage was scanned, and the accused, who arrived at the spot on a white scooter, was identified through the number plate.”Alambagh police were working on the case when, through an informer’s tip-off. It was learnt that the Aishbagh resident was trying to flee the city. When the police apprehended him, he fired at the police. Inspector in-charge of Alambagh, Subhash Chandra Saroj, was fired at twice by the accused, but the bulletproof jacket saved his life, police said.“In retaliatory firing, cops shot him, and he was critically injured. Verma was rushed to Lokbandhu Hospital for treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries. Doctors confirmed his death, and a postmortem is being conducted as per procedure,” the DCP said.“The action was taken purely in self-defence. The response was measured and controlled to apprehend the accused alive, but he succumbed to his injuries. The police recovered a country-made pistol and the scooter from the scene,” the DCP added.The DCP said that the accused worked as a vendor selling water at railway stations.To recall, the three-year-old girl was kidnapped while she was sleeping next to her parents on the roadside early Thursday morning. The child was found in a severely injured state, abandoned around 500 metres from the spot.
