Man accused of snatching that led to UP teen’s death shot dead in encounter: Cop

A 19-year-old girl fell from a running auto while trying to resist two bike-borne robbers on NH 9 on Friday afternoon. She succumbed to her head injuries at a hospital on Sunday night

A man allegedly involved in Friday’s snatching in Ghaziabad that led to the death of a 19-year-old student on Sunday night was shot dead in an encounter with police near the Upper Ganga Canal in Masuri on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday, officials said.

Police said the man, who was killed, has been identified as Jitendra Kumar, who was wanted in connection with Friday’s robbery incident with the girl student.

The woman, Kirti Singh, a resident of Hapur and a first-year engineering student at a college near Crossings Republik, succumbed to her head injuries at a hospital on Sunday night after she fell from a running auto while trying to resist the snatching by two bike-borne robbers on National Highway (NH) 9 on Friday afternoon.

Police said the suspect, who was killed, has been identified as Jitendra Kumar, a resident of Misalgarhi near Ghaziabad.

“On the intervening night of October 29/30, a police team spotted two men on two bikes. They were asked to stop but they did not and opened fire at the police. One police sub-inspector got injured during the firing. Police opened retaliatory fire and one of the men on bike sustained a bullet injury while the other fled the spot. The injured man was taken to hospital for treatment, but he was declared dead. He was later identified as Jitendra Kumar, who was wanted in connection with Friday’s robbery incident with the girl student,” DCP (rural), Vivek Chandra Yadav said.

Jitendra Kumar’s accomplice, Balbir Kumar, was nabbed from Sikrod during an earlier crackdown on Saturday night. Balbir sustained a bullet injury to his leg after the police team opened retaliatory fire at him during the crackdown. He told police during questioning that he and Jitendra were allegedly involved in the robbery with the girl student.

Police said that they have recovered Kirti’s robbed mobile phone from Balbir.

Kirti had caught the auto from outside her college along with her friend, Diksha Jindal, on Friday afternoon. When the auto got on to a flyover on NH-9 near Masuri, two men on motorcycle tried to grab Kirti’s phone and she fell down from the running auto while trying to resist the robbers. She was rushed to hospital for treatment with severe head injuries but died during treatment on Sunday night.

Within hours after the incident, a police team engaged several suspects on bikes near the Upper Ganga Canal near Masuri. The girl’s family registered a first information report at Masuri police station.

The DCP said that Jitendra had 12 criminal cases against his name and at least six of these were cases of looting, besides he also had a case of the Gangsters Act against his name in 2020.

Police said that the station house officer (SHO) of Masuri police station was suspended on account of laxity in supervision after the robbery incident on the highway.