Ghaziabad: Streets in Nahal village go empty after constable shot dead

While villagers say “dozens” of men have been picked up, Ghaziabad Police said 14 arrests had been made by Tuesday evening

Nearly 48 hours after a police constable from Noida was shot dead in Ghaziabad’s Nahal village during a Sunday night raid, the village wore a deserted look. Many families—especially young men—have fled, fearing a police crackdown, the village head said.

Ghaziabad India - May 27 2025 Ghaziabad Majority of local shops in Nahal village remained shut with locks on Tuesday in Ghaziabad , India on Tuesday, May 27 2025. (Photo by Sakib Ali/Hindustan Times) (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Located about 3km off National Highway 9, along the Upper Ganga Canal, Nahal is home to an estimated 15,000-20,000 people and is predominantly Muslim. Around 11pm on Sunday, the village became the site of a violent encounter in which constable Saurabh Kumar was shot in the head during a raid by Noida Police.

“Since the incident, most shops haven’t opened and locals are afraid to step outside,” said Haji Tassuvur, gram pradhan of the village. “From late Monday night till early Tuesday morning, police were all over the village. Around 50-60 men were picked up. On Tuesday, more families left—many waited for autos and other vehicles to take them out of Nahal.”

While villagers say “dozens” of men have been picked up, Ghaziabad Police said 14 arrests had been made by Tuesday evening.

“The law and order situation is under control in Nahal, and we have deployed police and PAC personnel as precautionary measure,” DCP (rural) Surendra Nath Tiwary, said.

The incident in question unfolded during a raid to arrest a man named Qadir, wanted in a recent theft case involving car music systems and other auto parts reported about three weeks ago. According to the FIR filed at Ghaziabad’s Masuri police station, the Noida Police team was allegedly attacked by a mob in Nahal and fired upon “indiscriminately” at least twice. Constable Kumar died after a bullet struck his head.

Noida Police did manage to arrest Qadir and handed him over to Ghaziabad Police for further action.

“The incident has stained our village’s name,” said Tasuvvur. “A young policeman has died, and his family has lost a son. It’s true some people here have criminal backgrounds, but not everyone is a criminal. Qadir is known here for his criminal activities. I spoke to several people who said they heard only one gunshot that night. But now, fearing police action, young men have left the village.”

An HT team visiting Nahal on Monday and Tuesday found streets empty, shops shuttered, and several houses locked. At a lone cycle repair shop, an elderly man—around 70 years old—sat quietly.

“For two days now, no one’s stepped out. Everyone is scared. Families are leaving however they can—autos, rickshaws, anything—to go stay with relatives. They’ll return only when things calm down,” he said, declining to share his name.

Meanwhile, police officers were seen posted throughout the village.

A contingent of 20-25 policemen was stationed outside the two-storey house of Qadir, described by police as the prime suspect. Ghaziabad Police said he has 22 criminal cases—mainly theft and robbery—and a history sheet against his name.

As the investigation intensifies, police are trying to establish who fired the fatal shot. So far, five people have been arrested: Qadir and four other male residents of Nahal.

The officials said that apart from Qadir, they arrested Abdul Salaam, Nanhu Iliyaas, Mushahid Mehraj, and Abdul Khaliq till Monday night.

“Qadir was arrested by Noida police and handed over to us. Rest four are local residents of Nahal, and they were part of mob as revealed in some CCTVs. We are also trying to identify more people who were part of the mob that gathered in Nahal when police team was attacked. People from the village are being questioned to trace who fired the shot that killed the constable,” said Surendra Nath Tiwary, Ghaziabad’s deputy commissioner of police (Rural Zone). “Anyone not found involved will be released. We are also reviewing CCTV footage to reconstruct the sequence of events from Sunday night.”