Bulandshahr triple murder: Two wanted accused arrested after encounter

The arrests come days after three members of a family were shot dead during a birthday party in Khurja on the night of April 25-26. The incident had triggered action against police personnel, with four officials, including a station house officer, suspended for alleged dereliction of duty.

Two accused carrying a reward of ₹50,000 each were arrested after being injured in a police encounter in the Khurja area in connection with the recent triple murder in Bulandshahr district, officials said on Wednesday.

The accused were apprehended during a joint operation by Khurja Nagar police and a SWAT team. (For representation)

The arrests come days after three members of a family were shot dead during a birthday party in Khurja on the night of April 25-26. The incident had triggered action against police personnel, with four officials, including a station house officer, suspended for alleged dereliction of duty.

The accused, identified as Rinku and Bharat, were apprehended during a joint operation by Khurja Nagar police and a SWAT team near the Mundakheda canal on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, officials said.

According to police, the duo had been taken to the spot for the recovery of a digital video recorder (DVR) linked to the crime when they allegedly tried to escape. During the attempt, they opened fire using concealed weapons, prompting the police team to retaliate in self-defence. Both sustained bullet injuries to their legs and were subsequently arrested.

The reward on Rinku and Bharat had been announced by Kalanidhi Naithani, deputy inspector general of police (Meerut Range), as part of efforts to trace those involved in the killings.

Earlier, another accused, Mayank, was arrested following a separate police encounter, while two others were taken into custody and sent to jail.

Khurja circle officer Shobhit Kumar confirmed their role in the incident. “The accused were taken for recovery of evidence when they attacked the police team and tried to flee. They were injured in retaliatory firing and have been hospitalised. Further legal proceedings are underway,” he said.

The triple murder followed a dispute during a birthday party that escalated into violence, leaving Amardeep, 30, Manish, 28, and Akash, 18, dead.